Just Between Us
by Hermione Eveningfall
Summary: During the harvest holidays, Han, Leia and their children visit Luke at his Jedi Acadamy on Yavin 4. However, when they arrive, Luke's health is not quite as well as they'd hoped...
1. Default Chapter

Title: Just Between Us

Author: Hermione Eveningfall

Fandom: Star Wars

Disclaimer: The character's names and places do not belong to me. They belong to George Lucas, and I am merely borrowing them for my own amusement. ;o) I promise to return them!

Summary: The Harvest holiday have arrived, which means another trip to the Jedi Acadamy on Yavin 4 for Han, Leia and their children.

Chapter 1

"I see it, I see it, I see it!" Six year old Jacen Solo cried, peering through the front window of the Millenium Falcon. Chewbacca gave a roar of satisfaction, glancing at Han, who worked the controls. Leia sat with four year old Anakin on her lap, bouncing him gently, while her Jaina sat beside her, clutching her duffle bag tightly in her hands.

"Yep, that's it…Yavin 4." Han blew out his breath…it had been a long journey from Coruscant, one he was glad they only took for special occasions. Luke, after all, was rarely free as it is...he was currently a master at the brand new Jedi temple. "Slow her down, Chewie…we don't want to make a crash landing."

Anakin squealed, clapping his chubby hands together, and Leia shushed him. "Ani, Daddy is trying to concentrate, all right? I know you're excited to see Uncle Luke."

Jaina sighed happily, and watched as her twin brother came to sit beside her, taking the lizard she held from her lap. "Thanks," he said with a grin, and Jaina rolled her eyes, nodding. Eventually, they descended to the platform set up for them, and everyone felt the familiar thud as the Falcon came to a stop.

"This is your captain speaking," Han began, cupping his hands over his mouth so his voice sounded muffled. The twins and Anakin began giggling, and helped their mother gather their luggage. "Please watch your step on the way down the ramp. Single file, and no funny business."

Chewbacca gave another roar, and Han went to Leia. "I'll take him," he offered, and Leia shook her head, handing over her suitcase.

"You can take this, Han." She winked, giving him a kiss, and followed the rest of the group towards the exit ramp. They could already feel the intense heat and humidity of the jungle planet as they descended, and the first thing Jaina saw when they reached the platform was: "Uncle Luke!" she flew into her Uncle's arms, laughing as he lifted her and spun her around, placing a kiss on her cheek. Luke Skywalker, a Jedi Knight and a hero of the Republic, dressed in his simple black hooded robes. His hands were folded in front of him, and he wore the tired smile Jaina grew used to seeing on him via all of their holo messages.

"How are you feeling?" Leia whispered, once she set Anakin on the ground with his siblings, and embraced Luke tightly. The twins glanced at one another quizzically, not quite sure what their mother meant by the statement. Luke did, however, appear more exhausted than they remembered.

"All right," he practically whispered, kneeling down so he could embrace Jacen and Anakin. "How are you?" he asked, and Anakin held up four fingers.

"I'm four and a HALF!" he exclaimed, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

"That you are," Luke replied, ruffling the head of light brown hair. "And you're getting to be almost as big as Jacen here." He winked at the elder Solo son, and gave him a hug.

"It's good to see you again, kid," Han greeted, and the Solo family followed Luke through the front doors of the temple. It was then the twins first heard the bad cough their Uncle produced, and Leia placed her hand on his back, rubbing cautiously.

"I'm fine," he gasped, and Jaina felt her heart racing as she stumbled after her brother, gazing upwards at the high domed celings.

They passed a familiar protocol droid, who stopped short at their arrival. "How wonderful to see you all again! This is certainly a surprise!"

"Threepio!" the twins exclaimed, surrounding him, and Anakin stood a few inches behind.

"Mistress Jaina, Master Jacen, and of course…young Master Anakin! I will show you all to your rooms, if you'll come with me, please."

Leia and Han gave their children encouraging smiles, and Han placed a hand firmly on Jacen's shoulder. "Take Anakin with you, all right? Make sure you keep a very close watch on him. Your mother and I want to have a talk with Uncle Luke in private."

Jacen and Jaina nodded obediently, and Jaina lifted Anakin into her arms, bouncing him as she carried him off. When they were gone, Luke turned to his old friends, his eyes staring into Leia's. "Let's go into my office, where we'll have more privacy," he told them, coughing into a fist again, and led the way. They could here Threepio chatting in the distance, the sound of his feet clanking along the tile floor.

"That cough sounds pretty bad, Luke. It's been with you for years now. I really think you should see a healer about it," Leia sighed, walking beside her brother.

"When did it start exactly?" Han asked, once they were all sitting in the comfortable room, filled with soft, light brown couches, a long desk, and a wonderful view of the jungle from the window. Luke sat down on the couch next to Leia, and folded his hands on his lap again.

"I never wanted to tell you, because it was too painful," Luke replied. "I couldn't bring it up, not when you and the children wanted to spend a pleasant time here." He coughed again, and Leia cocked her head to one side.

"Is it bad?" she asked, bracing herself for the worst. Every visit, no doubt, Luke seemed to grow weaker, but clearly he used his Jedi powers to protect his body during the long weeks of teaching.

"I'm not sure, but I…" he lowered his head. "When I went to confront Darth Vader while you two were still fighting on Endor, the Emperor electoructed me for at least ten minutes. He used his Force lightening, which penetrated my skin."

Leia's mouth opened and closed; it was true, Luke never did tell her or Han about the confrontation…they'd always kept mum about it. "Oh Luke…" she breathed, and he took her hand, squeezing it firmly.

"So I'm thinking that's the reason for this cough. I can put my shield up and kind of ignore it during the week, because of course, I don't want to sound like I'm dying in front of my students."

Han rubbed his chin, and Leia felt as though a fist slammed into her stomach. "You're dying?" she asked, and Luke shook his head with a laugh.

"No, that's not what I meant. But the cough is getting a little worse, I think, every year."

"Why don't you take something for it, Luke? I'm sure the medical droids have plenty of options for you.

"I've been so busy," Luke told them, and Han snorted.

"Well, then, this week we'll just have to drag you there. Luke, I don't get why you haven't said anything about this to us before. If you're sick, it's pretty darn important that we know about it!"

Leia hugged her brother, kissing the top of his head, and gave Han a look. "Well, the important thing is we know," she added. "I'm sure they have medicine you could take for it. Have you experienced any other signs of illness besides the cough after the electrocutions?"

Luke shook his head, coughing hard into his fist again. This time, it went on for almost a minute, and Han went to get a glass of water from the dispenser in the corner. Luke gratefully accepted the liquid, chugging it down in a couple of gulps. "Leia, right now, I want to enjoy the holidays with you. I promise I'll go to the healer as soon as vacation is over."

Leia hesitated to agree, but she finally sighed, resting against the back of the couch. "All right, kid, but if you pass out on us, we're dragging you there." Han stood, and rubbed his fingers through his dark hair. "Let's go check on the kids, and make sure they found their rooms."

Leia aided Luke to his feet, supporting him with her arm around his waist.

"Don't tell them," Luke begged, and she smiled.

"We wont, Luke. Just between us." She winked, and they made their way towards the guest rooms.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"This is so cool!" Jacen cried from where he stood staring out over the jungle. "Imagine all of the different animal species I could collect out there!"

Anakin sat in the middle of the floor, playing with his favorite set of wooden blocks, and Jaina hung her clothing in the closet.

"You know Mom would never let us go out there unless we had an adult," she snorted. Jacen groaned, turning away so he could continue unpacking his own clothes. Anakin watched his siblings with amusement, throwing one of his blocks against the pile he made, causing them to scatter across the rug. Jaina yelped as one whacked her on the ankle, and she glanced over her shoulder, scowling.

"Anakin, you know what Mama said about throwing your toys!" she scolded, and Anakin pointed at a stray block.

"But I'm making a battle," he said, gasping between words as young children often did.

"Uh huh. Well, you know who has to clean them up, don't you?" Jaina asked, and there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" she called, and it slid open. Luke peeped in, smiling at them.

"Hi!" she cried.

"Is everything all right in here? Is it comfortable enough?" he asked, walking in all the way, and nearly tripped over Anakin's toys.

"It's fine," Jacen promised. "Say, Uncle Luke, d'you think we could go exploring through the jungle a little? I have a collection of all kinds of bugs, snakes and lizards, and I'd bet I could get thousands here!"

Luke managed a laugh. "Well, I'm sure we can arrange something. But are you three hungry?" he bent down to lift Anakin, who giggled, and gave his Uncle a hug around the neck.

"Is everything all right, Uncle Luke?" Jaina asked, as she and Jacen followed him towards the cafeteria. Han and Leia were waiting not far away, and the group decided to go together. Luke merely smiled, adjusting Anakin in his arms.

"Everything's just fine, love." He waved to Han and Leia, and Han took Anakin for the time being. The cafeteria, when the family arrived, was bustling with padawans of all ages. They greeted Luke with smiles and nods, and the twins were busting with excitement.

"Don't they ever join their families for holidays, Uncle Luke?" Jaina asked, taking in the multiple scents. Luke placed a hand on her shoulder, and steered her to the direction of the "humanoid" buffet.

"Some do," he replied. "It all depends on where their homes are located. Many, though, prefer to stay here and use this time to strengthen their abilities, one on one with their master."

Jacen smirked. "And probably because the Jedi academy is more comfortable than what their actual homes are like," he whispered to Jaina, who nudged his shoulder in warning.

As they gathered their food for lunch, Luke fought the urge to cough, closing his eyes and letting the Force engulf him. Very rarely did he ever show signs of weakness to the padawans—Jedi were supposed to let the Force heal them.

Eventually, the family took their seats in an empty booth by the window, watching the goings on with interest.

"Not a bad set up, kid. I'm impressed," Han complimented, and Jaina had to cover her mouth in order to stifle a giggle. It amused her greatly when her father called Luke a "kid". Though Luke wasn't old…just thirty at this point…hardly a "kid". It was probably related to their relationship during the rebellion years. Han, Leia and Luke's friendship had lasted a long time, beginning when the boys burst onto the Death Star and rescued Leia from her pending execution.

"Thanks," Luke replied, tickling Anakin, who let out a peal of giggles. Leia knew that in six years, the twins would attend the Jedi Acadamy. It was clear they were both strong in the Force, but Jedi did not begin official training until they were at least twelve years of age. It had been extraordinarily difficult sending them to a remote planet, just barely a week or so after they were born. It took a while for Jacen and Jaina to get used to their parents when they returned, and the idea that Leia had been "forgotten" was painful. However, the twins, like Anakin who'd just returned from his own "exile", eventually grew used to "family life" again.

Luke suddenly began coughing, receiving concerned looks from Han and Leia.

"Do you need water, Uncle Luke?" Jaina asked, once he finished. After managing to take a good breath, Luke shook his head.

"No," he croaked, though the fit began almost instantly afterwards.

Han raised his eyes at Jaina, silently mouthing to her to get the water. A few stray studentswho were close by, asked if their Master was all right.

Luke smiled confidently, though his cheeks were flushed from exertion. "Wrong pipe. That's all," he insisted, and waved them along. Han rolled his eyes, biting back a retort. When Jaina returned with the water, Luke scowled a bit, but accepted it with a quiet "thank you".

"Uncle Luke," Anakin began, "I'm makin' a battle in my room. Can you play with me? I'm using my blocks as a fort!"

Jaina and Jacent snorted into their meals, and Luke, after finishing the water, ruffled Anakin's hair. "I'd be honored to play with you," he insisted.

Jacen tugged on his mother's sleeve, and the former Princess of Alderaan looked at him. "Yes, love?" she asked.

"Uncle Luke said we might be allowed to explore the jungle! Can we?"

Leia gave Luke a small scowl, and he shrugged innocently.

"It's much too dangerous," she breathed. "Maybe when you're older," she added, and Jacen groaned, his lips forming in a pout.

"But Mom," he whined. "You always say 'when I'm older'."

"And when your Force powers have developed a bit more strongly."

Jacen folded his arms in disappointment, and Luke gave him an expression of apology. "What you fill their heads with," Leia hissed, and Han leaned back against his seat.

"Eventually we do have to let the twins grow up, Leia."

"Not too soon!" she exclaimed. "Children grow up so fast already!"

Jacen, Jaina and Anakin continued to eat their meals, trying to focus on the food before them. They only half listened to the occasional, casual conversation that broke out between their parents and Uncle, whispering amongst themselves.

"Can we play space pirates?" Anakin asked, pointing at Jaina and Jacen. "And this time, when we play, it's one of your turns to be in prison."

Jacen and Jaina glanced at each other, and tried very hard not to laugh. "We captured you fair and square," Jacen replied haughtily.

"No you didn't!" Anakin snapped. "Being only four years old isn't a good reason!"

"Pirates never have a real good reason to capture anybody," Jaina admitted. "They just do it for fun."

Luke glanced at his niece and nephews, his eyebrows raised. "What's this about capturing the innocent?" he asked, hoisting Anakin onto his lap. Jacen and Jaina were about to respond, when Leia touched Han's hand.

"Perhaps you and I should take a bit of a nap, hmmm?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Luke, are you all right with the children for a bit? Threepio could always take Anakin if he becomes too much for you."

Luke shook his head. "I'll be fine with them, Leia. Stop worrying." He narrowed his eyes to emphasize his point, and Leia sighed.

"All right. Well, you three, your father and I will be in our room if you need us."

"Kissing!" Anakin exclaimed, sending his other siblings into fits of giggles.

Leia squeezed his nose playfully, and he struggled against her grasp. "Yes, ewwwww, kissing." She kissed his forehead tenderly, brushing the child's light brown hair away from his eyes. "Behave for Uncle Luke," she told them. "Don't tire him out."

Jacen and Jaina gave their mother innocent grins, and Jaina lifted her head high.

"Who, us?" she asked, and Luke smirked. "All right, Mom and Dad," he told Han and Leia. "We're going to retire to their room, then." He slid out of his seat, allowing Han to move past him, and then Leia gave him a hug.

"Thank you," she whispered, and Luke squeezed her arms comfortingly.

"I've survived worse," he told her quietly, and she winked. When Leia and Han left the cafeteria, Jacen, Jaina and Anakin exploded into speech, talking at the same time and very fast.

"And the last time," Anakin told Luke, bouncing along beside his Uncle as they made their way into the hall. "They had me in a really cold cell, chained by my ankles! They told me if I made one noise, Jacen would stay in the cell and tell bad jokes for hours!"

Luke laughed heartily, lifting the four year old into his arms. "Well, I'm glad you were able to escape unscathed!" he replied, and the twins were giggling. When they reached the guest room, Anakin squirmed to be let down, and Luke did as he wished. Then, as a bit of a joke, he used the Force to raise several of the blocks into the air, and moved them so they were above the children's heads. Anakin gasped in awe, but every time he would reach up to catch the block in his hands, Luke would move it higher and higher.

"Hey!" he cried. "Uncle Luke!"

The twins were having fun trying to leap as high as they could, but were soon breathless. Luke lowered the blocks to the floor again, and Jaina laughed.

"Could we learn to do that when we come to study at the academy, Uncle Luke?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. She took a ribbon from the pocket of her skirt, and tied her long brown hair into a single ponytail with it. Luke joined Anakin by the "fort", and glanced at her.

"We'll see," he replied. "But yes, you will learn how we lift things using our minds. It takes a lot of practice, but it's well worth it in the end." He let out another nasty cough, making the twins cringe.

"What is the matter, Uncle Luke? Are you getting sick?" Jaina asked, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. He shook his head, after breathing deeply.

"I've had this cough for quite some time," he muttered.

"You should see a healer," Jacen pointed out. "They can help you get better."

Anakin stacked the blocks in a particular way, clearly in his own little world. Luke gave the twins a weak smile, and shook his head. "There's no need," he insisted, and Jaina and Jacen gave each other disbelieving glances. "It's just a cough, nothing more. I think I can handle that." He covered his mouth with his fist, this fit even worse than the last.

"Oh, can you?" Jaina asked. "Uncle Luke, please go to the healer! At least to get checked over. Even if they don't find anything wrong with you, you'll be able to rest more easily knowing you're fine."

Luke absolutely hated discussing the topic of his health, and changed the subject immediately. "So, Anakin," he said a little more loudly than was necessary. "Who exactly are we battling?"

"The Empire of course," Anakin replied, and Luke sniggered.

"Of course." He motioned for Jacen and Jaina to come and sit with them, and allowed Jaina to snuggle against his side. Anakin, once the "fort" was complete, hid behind it, and pretended to hold a blaster. "I see storm troopers comin'!" he cried, pointing. "Right over there, Uncle Luke! Bang, bang, bang!" he pretended to pull the trigger, and Jaina suddenly clutched her chest, making a horrible gagging noise.

"I've been hit!" she clawed at Luke's arm, her face contorted in pain. She let out another, slightly pitiful moan, and collapsed to the rug with an "Ughhhhhh."

Anakin's eyes were wide, horrified at the thought of having hit his sister with the blaster bullets. "Jaina, nooooo!" he wailed, and Jacen hovered over Jaina's fallen form, holding her wrist and feeling for her pulse.

"She is dead," he sighed grimly. "But she wasn't hit by your bullet, Ani. She was hit from behind…duck!" he fell over Jaina's body, and she gave an annoyed "Ummph!"

Luke watched as the mock battled "raged"…Anakin ran around the room, firing his invisible blaster. Jacen battled the enemies with his lightsaber, and Luke levitated Jaina, who had her arms crossed over her chest.

"Argghhhh!" she suddenly cried, realizing how light she felt, and she did a bit of a summersault through the air.

"You're alive!" Anakin exclaimed. "We thought you were dead, Jaina!"

"Uncle Luke, that's not fair!" she cried, though she was laughing, and flapping her arms like a great bird.

"He's a pirate!" Anakin squealed, and the two younger Solo boys tackled their Uncle once Jaina was lowered to the ground. Luke snatched Anakin from the floor, turned him over, and began to tickle his sides and stomach. Jacen in turn, began to tickle Luke in retaliation, and soon the room was filled with hysterical laughter.

"Stoppit, stoppit, stoppit," Anakin squealed, protecting his sides and stomach from his Uncle's wrath.

"Space pirates tickle their victims unjustly because that's their way," Luke replied, and Jaina wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a large kiss on his cheek.

"Ugh!" Anakin and Jacen groaned, as Luke gaped at her.

"And he's the most handsome space pirate around," she announced.

"Why thank you, my lady," he stood and bowed. "Are you willing to join my crew, then?"

"Don't do it, Jaina! Pirates are bad!" Anakin begged, pointing. "He's tricking you!"

"Don't listen to him," Luke whispered. "Come away with me, and together we'll pillage, plunder…" his breath suddenly snagged in his chest, and the three children stepped back as he began coughing hard. The game ceased, and Jaina grabbed his arm.

"We have to take you," she told him.

"No," Luke whispered, his eyes tearing.

"Well, can you at least sleep then?" Jacen asked. "Maybe a nap will help you feel a little better…"

Luke leaned on the twins for support once he stood, though the room spun. Anakin looked worried this time, and frowned. "Did we hurt you, Uncle Luke?" he asked, and Luke shook his head.

"No, Anakin, you didn't hurt me. But I think a nap would be a good idea. I've been overexerting myself more than I should have." He sighed once he stopped coughing, and Jaina rubbed his back.

"We'll lay down with you," she insisted. "I'm kind of sleepy myself."

"Well, if you're all right with that," Luke told her. "How about you two? Would you mind napping for a little bit?"

Jacen and Anakin shook their heads, not wanting to cause anymore trouble for their Uncle.

"All right. My bed is big enough to fit all three of us," he replied, and Anakin refused to be carried.

"I'm too heavy," he said. "You'll start coughin' again."

Luke felt his heart melt with the little boy's concern, and urged them out of the guest room. "Shouldn't we tell Mom and Dad where we are, in case we're still sleeping when they come looking for us later?" Jaina asked, and Luke bent down to kiss the top of her head.

"I'll contact them from the control panel in my room," he replied.

"We're ready, Uncle Luke," Jacen announced, and Luke lead them away.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Luke puts a new meaning on the word 'impossible'," Han growled, as he and Leia lay on their comfortable bed, trying their best to just relax. The long journey from Coruscant to Yavin 4 made both of them weary, though Han spent most of his time navigating the Falcon.

"I know, Han, but there's really not much more we can do other than beg, plead, and…"

"We could drag him," Han snorted. "I'm all for that method."

Leia rolled her eyes. "We'll just keep an eye on him this week."

Han groaned, struggling to lean up against the headboard. "So, are you really serious about sending the twins here when they're twelve?" he asked, hearing laughter from students outside of his door, as they walked about the temple. Leia touched his arm, her eyes twinkling.

"Of course I am. They're both so excited about coming here, and I think they'll be very successful."

There was a buzzing noise on the intercom in the bedroom, and Leia glanced at the control panel on the wall by the door.

"Wonder who that could be," she thought, sliding out from Han's arms, and to the floor. She covered herself with her robe, and went to push the call button.

"This is Leia," she spoke, and waited for the person to reply.

"Leia? It's Luke."

"Is everything all right?" Leia asked, glancing over her shoulder at Han, who had turned on his side in preparation for a nap.

"Yes, everything's fine. But I think the kids and I are going to take a bit of a nap ourselves, so we're just letting you know."

"We're in Uncle Luke's room, Mom!" Jaina and Jacen called in unison, and Leia chuckled.

"All right. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call on us," She added, and there was a pause.

"I'll see you later, Leia." A soft click noise told her that he'd turned the intercom off, and she went back over to the bed.

"Luke managed to get the kids to lay down for a nap with him," she spoke, and Han snorted, pulling her back into his arms once she was on the mattress. He removed her robe, and ran his hands down her bare arms.

"The kid's pretty amazing sometimes," he teased, and Leia scooched forward to give him a kiss.

"I want to sleep next to Uncle Luke!" Jaina cried, once they reached Luke's quarters, where Threepio was currently busy cleaning up.

"Master Chewbacca has arrived from the Falcon, Master Luke," Threepio explained. "He was taking care of…mechanical troubles, I do believe? And I sent him to the mess hall to help himself for a bit of lunch."

Luke nodded at the droid. "Thanks, Threepio. Would you mind taking a bit of a break? I think we're going to sleep for a while."

Threepio's optical sensors turned towards Jacen, Jaina and Anakin, who were scrambling onto the bed to see who could get the most comfortable spot. Soon, Anakin wound up in the middle of the two twins, and Luke got the largest space on the right side of the mattress.

"Certainly, sir. Good afternoon." He waddled out of the bedroom, and the mechanical doors open and shut with their familiar WOOSH sound. Luke smiled as the Solo children lay watching him, and he sat on the edge of the bed, yawning.

"Is everybody comfortable?" Luke asked, sliding under the covers, feeling suddenly chilled. The kids crawled beneath the sheets too, and Jaina nodded, closing her eyes.

"Mmm hmm. Your bed's very comfortable, Uncle Luke."

Luke smiled softly to himself, bundling into his blankets, wrapping his feet in them. "I'm freezing all of a sudden," he admitted, his teeth chattering, and Jacen lifted his head, glancing at Anakin, who had already fallen asleep. Jaina looked at her twin brother over Anakin's body, and then they turned to Luke.

"You might have a fever," Jaina suggested, crawling over so she could feel Luke's forehead. It was a little warmer than usual, but not overly so. She shrugged, snuggling back down again.

"A little sleep will do all of us quite a bit of good," Luke told them in a quiet voice, coughing into his shoulder. He sniffed and sighed, trying to relax as best as he could.

Luke and the Solo children slept most of the afternoon, only waking when Threepio came to announce that it was time for dinner. Jacen, Jaina and Anakin waited patiently for Luke to gather his wits about him, but were concerned that their Uncle looked worse than he had before they lay down. "Stay in bed," Jaina insisted, and Luke attempted to argue, but only broke into coughing. "We'll bring you something to eat."

Luke hated to admit it, but the thought of facing the usual crowds in the mess hall was a bit overwhelming at the moment. He allowed his nephews and niece to help him back under the covers, just as there was a light knock on the door. "Stay with Uncle Luke, Anakin," Jaina told her youngest brother, as she and Jacen went to see who the visitor was. When they pressed the intercom, they weren't surprised to find their mother's voice answering them on the other end.

"Uncle Luke's sick, Mom," Jaina told her. "He's just going to stay in bed while we go to dinner…" the doors opened, and Leia swept in, her eyes wide with worry.

"Luke?" she breathed, dashing over to the bed, where Anakin sat cross-legged, holding his Uncle's hand. He gazed at her, trying to pull away when she attempted to check his temperature.

"Leia, it's all right. I just exerted myself too much today." His voice was barely audible, and Leia sat beside him, smoothing his cheek.

"You are running a bit of a fever," she said. "Luke, we really should send for a medi droid and have an examination done."

"I don't need an examination," Luke growled. "Where's Han?"

"He went to see Chewbacca, and he's meeting us at the mess hall."

"Go to dinner, Leia," Luke whispered, reaching up to touch her shoulder comfortingly. "I'll be fine here. I just need some sleep, that's all." He sighed heavily, though that caused the cough to start up again. Leia eased him into a sitting position, and turned to her children.

"One of you can stay behind here," she told them. "And your father and I will have something brought up for you. I don't trust leaving Uncle Luke alone."

"Leia, I'm not a child," Luke scowled. "I'm fine…" he began coughing hard into his fist, his cheeks turning bright red.

"I'll stay with him, Mom," Jaina insisted, her eyes narrowing as Luke collapsed against his pillows, exhausted. Anakin and Jacen surrounded their Uncle, staring at their mother with worry.

"We all want to stay with him, Mom," Jacen insisted, but Luke shook his head.

"Neither of you needs to stay with me," he said. "I'll be fine. Go and eat." He gave each of the kids a kiss, and Leia herded them out of the room.

"If that fever doesn't go down by tomorrow, we're bringing you to the medical ward," she told him, shaking her head with exhasperation, and following in the children's wake. Luke watched as Leia greeted Threepio, who stood by the door, and strained to hear as she whispered something to him.

"Of course, Mistress Leia, I'll watch over him," he insisted, and Luke groaned. His sister was unbearable!

"Threepio," he warned, as the droid waddled into his bedroom, but was too tired to continue the retort.

"I'll be quite silent, sir. You won't even know I am here." The droid insisted, taking his place by the large window. Luke closed his eyes, trying to calm his chattering teeth, and wondered what was wrong with him. 'One minute I'm perfectly well, the next…' he cringed as a sharp pain shot through his chest, sending him into another fit of coughing.

"Sir, might I get you anything? A glass of water, perhaps?"

Luke gasped for breath, nodding. "Thank you," he croaked, and Threepio went to fulfill his master's request.

"Hey Chewie!" Jacen called, when he, his other siblings and Leia caught up with Han and the wookie. Chewbacca gave a small rawr of acknowledgement, and wrapped a large, furry arm around Jacen. Leia and Jaina laughed at the sight, but Anakin stood silently a few inches behind them.

"Did you get enough to eat, pal?" Han asked, and the wookie gave another rawr. "Good. You can either sit with us then, or go back and hang in your room for a bit. It's up to you." He raised his arms, and Chewbacca agreed to the latter suggestion. The family watched as the wookie walked away, and Han turned to Leia.

"So where's Luke?" he asked, noticing his absence.

"Sick in bed of course," Leia groaned, and Han raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to talk some sense into that kid," he growled, but she held him back.

"No, Han, don't," she argued, and he stared at her. "Don't make the situation any worse than it is. Threepio is watching him, and we'll see how he feels in the morning before we jump to any conclusions."

Jaina tugged on her mother's dress, and Leia glanced down. "Yes love?" she asked, and Jaina frowned.

"What is wrong with Uncle Luke? Why did he want to talk to you two in private earlier today?"

Han hustled the kids forward. "Better get to the mess hall before they run out of the good stuff," he answered quickly.

"But Dad!" Jacen protested, though after seeing his father's stern expression, nodded with a sigh. "Yes, sir." He gave Jaina an annoyed look, and the twins hurried off. Leia picked Anakin up in her arms, and walked side by side with Han. It wasn't until Leia sent Anakin off with his elder siblings that she pulled Han aside.

"We can't keep this from the kids," she whispered. "But I don't want to worry them, especially if we don't even know what the problem is."

Han rubbed his chin, leaning against one of the poles. "Yeah." He growled under his breath. "I don't care if his temperature's one degree higher than normal tomorrow morning…the kid's going to the medical ward." He brought Leia over to the buffet, where the family stood in line with the students, filling their plates. "Some trip, though, huh?" he added in a quiet tone, and Leia nodded, wetting her lips. She hated seeing her brother feeling so horrible, and hoped that his condition wasn't too serious. She just wished he wasn't so stubborn.

Back in his quarters, Luke tossed and turned in bed, occasionally breaking into a coughing fit. Threepio continued to stand by the window, watching over his master. Leia returned after supper, having left the children with Han and Chewbacca. She shook her head exhasperatedly at the sight of her brother. Luke lay huddled beneath the sheets, his teeth chattering.

She told Threepio to send for a medical droid, and went to sit beside Luke on the bed. He merely gave a small moan when she touched his hot forehead, and shifted fitfully. "I'll be right back," she told him, and headed into his private bathroom. She found a wash bowl and a cloth, filling the bowl with cool water. No doubt Luke was coming down with an infection of sorts.

When she began blotting his forehead and cheeks, Luke's eyes fluttered open at last. "Leia?" he whispered, and she reached over to take his hand comfortingly.

"Shhhhh. I'm here, Luke," she promised. "I won't leave you."

Luke coughed, gasping for air. "You don't have to be here," he whispered, though that only made him start coughing again.

Leia shook her head. "Don't try to talk, Luke. I sent for a medi droid, and we'll try to get you better, all right?" she felt her heart racing at Luke's somewhat shallow breathing, and wanted to kick herself for not having sent for the droid prior to this.

"No droid," Luke whimpered, shivering as a few stray drops trickled down his cheeks and neck.

When Threepio returned with a medical droid about a half hour later, Leia was ordered in a gentle tone to leave the room. It was explained to her that if Luke was in deed ill, the risk of exposure to germs was imminent. Leia gave Luke a quick kiss on the forehead, dashing from the room.

As soon as she entered the hallway, she ran smack into Han, who had Chewbacca at his heels. "What's going on?" he asked.

"I had to send for the medical droid," Leia whispered. "Luke's running a pretty high fever. I figured it was best to do that now, when he's not quite with it. Makes it more difficult for him to protest."

Han folded his arms as he heard his brother-in-law coughing from behind the door. "We really should let the kids know," he sighed. "They're starting to get pretty suspicious."

Leia glanced wearily at Chewie, who gave a soft rawr of agreement, followed by a snuffle. "I really don't want to tell them anything until we know what's wrong," she replied. "Han, there's no need to cause a panic."

"But they have the right to know if they're Uncle is feeling cruddy," Han insisted. "Just because we don't know exactly what the problem is, it wouldn't hurt to let them know there might be trouble."

Leia was quiet for a moment, and finally folded her arms, nodding. "You're right," she agreed. "You're right. It's selfish of us to keep this from them. Where are they?"

Han nodded over his shoulder. "In their room. They're wiped out," he added. "It should be an early night bed-wise." He wrapped a comforting arm around Leia, leading her away from her brother's quarters. Chewie waddled after them, and the three reached their children's guest room.

Jaina and Jacen lay on their beds chatting, while Anakin sat on the plush couch, reading a picture book. "Is everything all right?" Leia announced, causing all three children to look up, their faces clearly worried.

"Yeah," Jaina replied. "What's wrong? Did you find out what's the matter with Uncle Luke?"

Han and Leia glanced at each other, not quite sure how to begin. "No," Leia replied, sitting on her daughter's bed. "We didn't find out what the matter is yet, but the healer is with him now."

Jacen wet his lips as his father joined him, and sat up straight. "Do you think it's bad?" he asked, and Leia folded her hands on her lap.

"Yes," she replied. "It could be. We didn't want to scare you, but your father and I have discussed that it's best for you to know where this is all coming from. You know your Uncle hasn't been very well for several years, don't you?" she asked, and everyone nodded sadly.

"He's always sick when we're here," Jaina agreed. "And he's just so tired."

"What happened to him?" Anakin asked, crawling onto his mother's lap, and allowed her to wrap her arms around him.

"I'm sure he's told you the story of how he defeated the Emperor so long ago?" Leia asked, and the children nodded.

"That's our favorite story," Jaina replied.

"Well, Uncle Luke didn't tell you about the Force lightening, did he?"

Jaina and Jacen glanced at each other, and at Anakin, and the three shook their heads. "Not really," Jacen replied. "He said the Emperor tried to kill him, but Darth Vader stopped him before he could. That's right, isn't it, Mom?"

Leia sighed. "Well, it's mostly correct. The way the Emperor tried to kill your Uncle, was by using what's called Force lightening. He shot out this blue electricity, which surrounded your Uncle for several minutes. Luke told us that ever since, he's developed a bad cough."

The children stared at their mother, not sure what to say. "Uncle Luke might be…" Jaina whispered, unable to say the words. "No, Mama, he can't be…"

"We don't want to make any assumptions yet," Leia told them. "He's being looked at now, and will probably have some medicine.

"Oh it's our fault," Jaina cried. "We're always playing outside and getting dirty. We might have given him something," she sobbed, and Leia held her close.

"Nonsense!" she exclaimed. "Jaina, Luke could have picked up an infection from anyone or anything."

"I want to see him," Anakin added, and Han held up his hands.

"That won't be possible tonight," he stepped in. "Your Uncle's not feeling well, and he needs peace and quiet, so he can rest. I don't want either of you kids in there disturbing him, do you hear me?"

"I want Uncle Luke!" Anakin repeated, tears forming in his icy blue eyes. "I want Uncle Luke!"

Leia hugged him tightly, feeling her own eyes fill with tears. "Anakin, you have to be brave for your Uncle Luke. He wants you to enjoy yourselves as much as you can," she added. "You know how it is when you're sick, Ani. You don't want people making loud noises or bouncing about, do you?"

Anakin shook his head, sniffling. "No," he whispered.

"That's just how it is with Uncle Luke. He needs his rest, and he'll feel better in the morning, I'm sure." She hoped she sounded more convincing than she felt. "All of you have to promise me," she added, "that you won't let Uncle Luke know that you know. I want you to act as normal as possible, because we don't want him to start to worry himself."

Jacen nodded. "We will, Mom." He smiled at his father, who patted his shoulder proudly.

"That's my boy. Jaina? Anakin? Are you in?" he asked, and Leia held out her hand.

"I'm in," Jaina finally responded, placing her hand on top of her mother's. Anakin did the same, and, before long, the entire Solo family came together in a huddle. Chewbacca stood off to the side, giving a rawr of approval, and made the twins laugh.

"Come here, Chewie," Jaina called, opening her arms, and embraced the wookie when he did as she told him to. "We can't forget about you!" she added, and Jacen reached over to scratch the wookie's side playfully.

"All right, you three," Leia announced. "I think it's early to bed tonight. It's already eight thirty, and we've had a very long day of traveling, and helping Uncle Luke. You don't have to go straight to sleep, but I want it to be quiet in here, all right?" she gave her children a stern look, and they surpressed disappointed groans.

"Yes, Mom," they replied in unison, and, after receiving more hugs from their parents, watched as they eventually left with Chewbacca. When the door to their room closed, the trio looked at one another.

"I do hope Uncle Luke will be all right," Jaina murmered.

"Me too," Jacen replied sadly. "Me too."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After breakfast the next morning, Leia, Han and their children went to visit Luke in his quarters. The Jedi master, much to their surprise (although they were not quite as surprised as one might think), was sitting up in bed, talking in a rather alert and perky voice with Threepio. "Thank you," he told the protocol droid, who passed Han and Leia with "Good morning, Mistress and Master Solos, and young master's and mistress solo's."

Leia chuckled to herself, hurrying over to the side of the bed. "Oh Luke," she breathed, after feeling his forehead. "Your fever's gone!"

He nodded, laughing as the twins piled onto the bed, each presenting their Uncle with hugs and kisses. "I do feel much better this morning," he told them, "though the healer insists I spend the day in bed." He coughed into his fist, sniffling lightly.

"What did the healer say last night?" Leia asked, sitting down with her brother. "You had a pretty bad fever."

Jaina snuggled up to her Uncle's side, allowing him to wrap his arm around her and kiss the top of her head. "They took a blood sample from my finger, and said I'd contracted a twenty four hour viral infection," he told Leia. "Or something along that line. I was in too much pain to be brought to the medical ward, but tonight he wants to bring me in to do a full exam." Luke sighed heavily.

Jaina lay her head across her Uncle's lap, feeling warm and safe when she was this close to him. Han and Leia smiled at each other, and shook their heads. "So I take it you're going?" Han asked, watching as Anakin rubbed noses with Luke, bursting into squeals of giggles as his Uncle pretended to nibble his neck.

"Looks like I have no choice," he replied, bending down to kiss Jaina again, stroking her hair, and pulling a strand of it behind one of her ears. "I really am sorry for worrying you last night," he added, and Leia squeezed his foot.

"You had us worried sick," she replied, "no pun intended, of course," she added, after Han gave a snort.

"Too manly to join us?" Luke laughed, noticing that Han and Chewbacca were the only two standing up.

"Maybe," Han sniggered. Chewbacca gave a rawr, urging his friend forward with a big furry paw, and Leia pulled Han to sit down beside her.

"So what are your plans for today?" Luke asked. "I'm sorry I'm not being much of a host this time," he added, and Leia kissed his cheek.

"We'll find something to do," she promised. "besides, all of us need a little relaxation for once."

"I take it my little princess is too comfortable to get up," Luke spoke, and Jaina turned over on her back, gazing into his pale blue eyes. "You can cuddle with me if you'd like, sweetheart," he added, and Leia rubbed Anakin's back, who sat in front of her.

"All right, Jacen and Anakin. I think Jaina wants to spend some time alone with Uncle Luke. Jaina, make sure you let him rest, all right?" she added. "He's still not well." She gave her brother a quick kiss on the lips, remembering the time on Hoth, when she'd used that tactic to irritate Han. 'It all seems so long ago,' she thought, as Han helped her off of the bed. 'And indeed it was,' she added to herself with a faint smile.

"I get Uncle Luke next," Anakin announced, as he followed his parents, Jacen, and Chewbacca out of the room. When they were gone, Jaina struggled to sit up straight, and slid beneath the covers.

"I was so frightened, Uncle Luke," she told him. "And I still am. What do you think the healer is going to find out when he does an examination tonight?"

Luke took a deep breath, pausing to cough again. "I'm not sure, sweetheart. I just wish I could get rid of this cough."

Jaina folded her arms, resting her head against his pillows. "Can't they just give you medicine for it?" she asked, and Luke shook his head.

"They've tried to give me medication for it, honey, but it hasn't helped. In fact, the cough continues to get worse every year. I really should have gone to the healer sooner, but I've just been so busy with giving lectures and special individual training, that I haven't given it much thought." He took her hands, and squeezed them gently. "I don't want you to worry over me, Jaina. I need you to be strong."

She felt tears once again glistening in her eyes, and lowered her head so her Uncle couldn't see. "That's what Mom and Dad told us last night," she whispered, biting her lip. "Oh…I shouldn't have said that," she added, and Luke smoothed her cheek.

"They told you, didn't they?" he asked, and Jaina glanced up, frowning.

"I promised I wouldn't say that I knew," she replied. "Oh Uncle Luke, I'm so sorry."

Luke shook his head. "Jaina, it's not your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for." He gave her a big hug, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "I do feel stronger with my family close by," he added.

"But you're not," she sobbed. "Uncle Luke, I don't want you…I don't want you to die…" she broke into tears, clinging to him desparately. "I won't let you die…"

Luke pressed the back of his hand against his mouth, fighting back tears of his own. The medi droid had shown a great deal of conern after listening to his breathing the previous night, and even that morning after the fever broke. "The medicine we gave should have eased your cough," the healer told him in his mechanical drone. "You must come by for an exam tonight. As soon as you are available, sir."

Luke held Jaina tight, allowing her to cry. "It's okay," he whispered into her ear. "I'm not going to die. It's okay." He couldn't hold them back any longer…his own tears spilled from his eyes, dotting the quilt below.

Leia sat in the sun room with a book on her lap, enjoying her segment of quiet time. Han and Chewbacca were with Jacen and Anakin, knowing their mother wanted a bit of the day to herself. She let out a small yawn, gazing through the window, taking in the beautiful jungle scenery before her. She shut the book at last, stretched her arms, and stood.

Her eyes followed one of the many species of birds, as it flew over the tops of the trees. She folded her arms, rocking back and forth on her heels. She'd been hoping to have a pleasant holiday vacation; not one that required worrying over her brother's weak health. She did that on a regular basis on Coruscant, resisting the urge to send him a hologram of herself every five minutes, asking if he were all right.

He'd been through so much after leaving Tatooine, that it amazed her how well he kept himself together. "I love you," she thought out loud. "I love you, Luke." She rested her forehead against the cool window pane, wishing they'd been able to spend their childhood together. She'd always known Bail Organa was not her real father, and she often found herself wondering what her actual parents were like. He'd been close friends with her mother, Padme, and did not hesitate to tell her at all about deceased senator from Naboo. "She was a kind spirit," Leia remembered him telling her. "Kind, but there was always a certain sadness about her."

Kind, but sad. Leia fiddled with the edge of her sleeve, returning to the couch where her book lay, and sat down again. The silence of the enormous Jedi temple rang in her ears; she half wondered what would happen if she completed the training to become a Jedi herself. No doubt Luke had suggested the idea to her, but as chief of state on Coruscant, Leia hardly had the time to spare for lessons. He'd taught her how to use a lightsaber and how to communicate using mind speech, but that was about it.

She reached over for the book once more, propped it open on her knees, and tried her best to concentrate on that for the time being.

Han paced back and forth in front of the Falcon, where Chewie had gone to tweak with it a bit more. He could hear the laughter of Jacen and Anakin as they chased each other about, jumping sideways as they ran past. Chewbacca peeped his head through the hanger, letting out another rawr, followed by several smaller yelps and clicks, as he motioned with his wrench for Han to come inside.

"Yeah, sorry Chewie," he apologized. "I'm just lost in thought here." He grabbed Anakin by the scruff of the neck just as the boy came whizzing past again, and did the same with Jacen. "All right, kids," he announced. "We have some work to do."

"But Dad," Jacen whined. "It's a vacation! Mom said she didn't want us tinkering with the Falcon all day," he added, and Han gave him a gentle nudge up the ramp.

"Well, we won't be working on it all day," he replied. "But Chewie's revamping the heating system, so we wont freeze on our way home next week."

Anakin chewed on the tip of his finger, his eyes staring at his father. "Yeah," he agreed. "It was cold."

Another impatient rawr from Chewbacca broke through the silence, and Han shook his fist at the wookie. "All right!" he shouted. "We'll be there in a minute!" he grumbed something inaudible under his breath, and the younger Solo boys followed their father into the cock pit.

"Luke Skywalker, what are you doing out of bed?" Leia exclaimed, as she watched Jaina aiding her Uncle down the corridor later that afternoon, when it came time for lunch. Luke held tightly onto his niece's arm, his steps very small and slow.

"I was getting a bit chlostrophobic," he told Leia with a small smile. "So I figured I'd join you for lunch." He gave a weak cough as Leia took his other arm, and gazed ahead.

"Luke, I really wish you'd take it easy," Leia told him. "You'll have a relapse if you keep this up." When they reached the cafeteria, Leia rolled her eyes.

"Where is your father?" she asked Jaina, who shrugged. Her eyes still stung from the good cry she and her Uncle shared. "If he and your brothers are working on the Falcon again, I'll whoop their behinds from here to Tatooine!"

Luke chuckled. "Leia, I think Han's idea of relaxation is tinkering with the Falcon," he replied.

"He's going to be a bad influence on those boys," she added. "Jaina, will you go to the landing platform and see if you can't find them, love? I'll sit in here and wait with Uncle Luke." She brought her brother to the nearest booth, easing him down very carefully onto the cushioned seat. Jaina nodded, dashing off through the doorway, and Leia sat across from Luke.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Luke asked in a very tired voice, clearly the walk from his room to the mess hall having taken its toll.

"Well, somewhat." Leia folded her arms. "I spent some time by myself reading."

Luke glanced down at the table "So the children know," he finally announced, receiving a startled look from Leia.

"What?" she asked, her eyes wide, and he merely smiled.

"Jaina told me. But don't worry, Leia. I am glad you decided to tell them, especially with how bad things are at the moment."

Leia wet her lips. "Luke…"

"Leia," he interrupted. "I don't want any of you to panic. We have an advanced system of medical technology here, and I will be in good hands." He began coughing, having a bit of difficulty catching his breath. Leia scooched out of her seat and joined him, rubbing his back and patting it softly, until the fit ended. He rested his head against her shoulder, just as Han, Jacen, Jaina and Anakin returned.

"I told him not to do it, Mom!" Anakin whined, and Leia glanced up at Han, giving him a somewhat dirty look.

"Falcon, mmm?" she asked, and Han shrugged.

"Chewie needed a hand or two. Hey, Luke, you all right, junior?" Han asked, noticing Luke's weak breathing. When Luke attempted to take a decent gulp of air, he began coughing even harder than before, only this time, his chest started to close up on him. Leia's eyes widened in horror, and she ordered the twins and Anakin to scurry off quickly.

"Kid, breathe," Han encouraged, as the coughing continued. Luke's expression changed from pain to fear, and Leia gripped Han's arm.

"He can't breathe," she gasped. "Han, he can't breathe!"

After a moment of violent coughs, Luke barely managed to gasp, "Le…" before sliding off of her lap into an unconscious heap on the floor.

Leia sat very still, her hands covering her mouth. "I've got him," Han told her. "You go and tell the kids. I'm bringing him to the medical ward."

"Han…" she breathed, and he gave her a stern look.

"Your place is with the children right now, Leia. The healers will be able to care for Luke." He silently added, 'I hope' as he lifted the Jedi master's limp body into his arms. Leia watched as her husband carried her brother away, before covering her face with her hand. Jacen, Jaina and Anakin hurried back over to their mother, and, at the sight of her hunched figure, they immediately knew something was seriously wrong.

"Uncle Luke," Jaina gasped.

Leia opened her arms for her children to come into them, and held them close.

Han carried Luke with slight difficulty down the long, twisty corridors, searhing anxiously for a droid. He had absolutely no idea where the medical ward was located, and felt a bit stupid for not having asked before. He eventually found Threepio, who was waddling around a corner, and stopped the golden robot with a, "Hey goldenrod!"

At that moment, Luke started awake, coughing and wheezing. "Calm down, Luke," Han comforted, easing the younger man's body, so his head was resting against his shoulder.

"Oh dear, oh dear," Threepio muttered. "Is he going to be quite all right?"

"I don't know," Han admitted. "Which way to the medical ward?"

"Straight down the hallway and turn to your left, sir," Threepio replied.

Han rushed Luke as fast as he could to the med center, and just as he reached the doorway, Luke awoke with a gasp of surprise. He squirmed in discomfort as he lay in Han's arms, but the sudden movement sent him coughing again. "Hang on, kid," Han encouraged. "We're going to get you some help." He entered the room, where several droids had gathered. Some were working on some of the academy students, who'd been nicked by practice lightsabers, or worse. One of the free droids immediately rolled over to Han, ordering him to place Luke onto one of the empty operating table.

"They informed me Master Skywalker would be arriving," the droid told Han, who raised his eyes.

"Well, we kind of had to rush here," he explained. "Master Skywalker…" it felt odd calling the younger man that… "is having trouble breathing. We had a bit of an emergency back at the mess hall…he passed out, actually."

The droid pricked Luke's finger with a tiny, silver device. "We will look into the matter," he replied.

"Han," Luke croaked, managing to turn his head towards his friend.

"Don't try talking," Han ordered. "You're too sick, kid. Hey…how long do you think it will be before we find out what's wrong with Master Skywalker?"

The droid raised his head, after covering Luke's shaking body with a thin blanket. "Please give us at least twenty four hours. That is how long it will take for the analysis of his blood to get back to us."

Han raised an eyebrow. "A full day? Are you kidding?"

"We are advanced, sir, but not that advanced. There is only so much we can do."

"Yeah," Han sighed. "Should I stay in here, or do you want me to go?"

"Han…" Luke whispered. "Leia and the children need you. They need…" he broke into another fit of harsh coughing, and Han felt his heart racing. 'Don't let the kid die,' he thought anxiously. 'Don't let him die, dammit.' He awkwardly touched Luke's shoulder, and felt the heat radiating from the jedi knight's skin.

"It would be preferred if you left, sir," the droid told Han, who nodded.

"Take care of my friend, here," he ordered, giving Luke's hand a quick squeeze. He was a bit startled when Luke squeezed it back, and smiled weakly.

"Thank you," he whispered, and Han nodded.

"We have to get you better," he replied. "if it's the last thing we do." He took another look at the medical droid, before leaving the center to find Leia and the kids.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Late that night, Luke finally came to. He felt as though he were in a thick fog. He knew he wasn't in his bedroom…the surface he was lying on was much too stiff. It was dark, so he could barely see past the end of his nose. Which, at the moment, was completely stuffed up.

He sneezed after a moment, groaning as his chest screamed in protest. Eventually, his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he realized he lay in the hospital ward. And not only that, but they had placed him on a cot surrounded by plastic walls. _Leia. _He tried to reach his sister through mind speech. _Leia, help me. _He broke into coughing, and, just as he finished, he heard the door to the med center open.

"Master Skywalker?" a droid voice broke the silence, and soon, the door to his cubicle opened. "Sir, how are you?"

Luke was about to respond when he sneezed again, rubbing his nose with the back of his wrist. "I think I have a bad cold," he grumbled.

"Yes," the droid replied. "You have contracted a viral infection. However, a recent scan of your insides have revealed a rather startling bit of information, sir."

Luke struggled to sit, but soon gave up the effort. "What do you mean?" he coughed, massaging his sore chest.

"Your file, sir, reports that you have suffered a cough for the past several seasons now. When we did a scan of your chest, sir…" he turned on the light inside the cubicle using his sensors, and revealed an x-ray to Luke. "As you can see, these are your lungs, sir. One of them appears to be horribly burnt."

_Burnt. _Luke felt sick to his stomach. Sure enough, when he got a closer look, the x-rays revelaed one horribly deformed lung, clearly blackened by intense heat. _The Emperor. _He closed his eyes, coughing again into his fist.

"What…" he croaked, swallowing, "what can we do?"

The droid looked at him through his optical sensors. "You are in great danger, sir. If you will allow us, I would strongly recommend that we undergo an operation."

Luke felt faint. "What kind of an operation?" he asked, his voice trembling a little.

"We would need to replace the damaged lung with a mechanical lung, sir. It appears as though the virus in your body is eaing away at the damaged lung."

Luke didn't know how to respond. How could he? The fact that he was possibly dying had him speechless.

"Sir, are you quite all right?" the droid asked, and Luke lowered his head.

"I must speak with my family before I make any decisions," he practically whispered.

"The wait would not be wise, sir," the droid insisted, but Luke glared at it.

"Allow me to decide what I wish to do with my life," he snapped.

The droid was quiet for a moment. "As you wish, sir. I will allow you to be released back to your quarters tomorrow morning, if you feel strong enough." He rolled away, leaving Luke alone again. When a few moments of silence had passed, Luke covered his face with his hand, taking a deep, trembling breath.

He knew exactly what Han and Leia would say…they would insist he go ahead wth the operation. If he had his lung replaced, there was the possible bright hope that the cough would be gone forever, that he would not have to worry about feeling so ill all the time. However, there was also the fear that the operation could go horribly wrong, that he may not wake up from the anesthesia. He reached into the pocket of his cloak and found a spare handkerchief, blowing his still stuffy nose. Sighing, he lay back against the pillows, gazing up at the ceiling. He would have to inform Han, Leia and the children first thing in the morning.

After a little while, Luke eventually drifted off to sleep, taking in the sounds of buzzing medical instruments and the electric generators.

"One step at a time, Luke." Leia spoke, as she and Han aided the Jedi master out of the medical ward the next morning. Luke still felt horribly exhausted, and had a slight fever, but the worst of the illness had passed. He hadn't told them of the droid's news yet, but figured it would be best to wait until they reached his room.

"Where are the children?" he asked in a very weak voice, allowing them to turn his body in order to turn a corner.

"They're eating breakfast," Han replied. "They'll come and see you afterwards. But I'm glad you're doing a little better, kid."

Luke managed a small laugh, and leaned against Han, while Leia activated the security code to his quarters. After they helped him into bed and under the covers, Leia sat beside him, squeezing his hand. "What's wrong, Luke?" she asked, noticing the sadness in his eyes.

Luke opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again. He wasn't sure how he was going to do this, and felt his heart racing. "I'm…" he managed to whisper, and Leia stared at him. "Leia," he added, "I'm dying."

Both Han and Leia were silent after he'd spoken the words. They glanced at one another, and then back at Luke. Leia reached over to brush her brother's bangs away from his forehead, trying to hold back the flood of tears creeping up from inside her.

"Who told you that?" Han asked, trying to keep his own voice steady. He wasn't one who broke down very often, and never in front of anyone.

"The medical droid," Luke whispered. "They showed me an x-ray of my chest, and a virus is eating away at one of my lungs. It was really badly burnt after the Emperor electrocuted me."

Leia collapsed beside her brother, burying her face against his shoulder. "Oh Luke," she sobbed, "there has to be something we can do. Is there anything we can do that will save you?" she asked. "I won't loose you…" Han sat down on the opposite side of the bed, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Luke turned his head towards his sister, kissing her forehead.

"They did give me an option," he croaked. "But I'm not so sure I want to go through with it. I wanted to speak to you and Han first."

Han blinked. "You want to ask our permission?" he asked. "Whether or not we'll let you get an operation that could save your life? Are you crazy, kid? What kind of people do you think we are?"

Luke managed a faint smile. "There are risks with the surgery, and a possibility that I might die during it," he told them. "The droid didn't say how long I had if I didn't have it done. I could have few days or a few years."

Leia sat up, resting against Han, her hand still grasping her brother's. "I think you should get it done, Luke, despite the risk."

Luke reached up to touch her cheek. "Could you bring the children to see me?" he asked. "but I would like to see them individually. I don't think I could handle the three of them crying at once."

Han chuckled, blowing out his breath. "I'll get them. Leia, you're going to stay here, I guess?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Go on, Han," she encouraged, and watched as her husband disappeared through the double sliding doors. When he was gone, she leaned against the headboard of Luke's bed. "Oh Luke," she breathed. "Why does this have to happen to you?"

Luke coughed, shrugging. "It's the will of the Force I guess," he replied. "but if this operation does work, then I may not have to worry about the cough anymore."

Leia laughed through her tears, and wrapped her arms around herself. "That would be a relief," she kissed the top of his head. "I love you," she told him.

"I love you too," he told her. "I love you so much, Leia."

She felt his forehead and cheeks, frowning. "You still have a fever," she told him.

He shrugged. "It's not bad," he told her, shivering slightly.

Leia pulled the blankets closer to her brother's neck as he lay back down against the pillows, and she ran her fingers gently through his dirty blonde hair.

"Do you remember," she began, "the first day we met, Luke?" she closed her eyes, her memory taking her back to when Luke had burst into her prison cell dressed in a storm trooper uniform. She hadn't been fooled a bit, and Luke managed a weak laugh.

"Yes," he replied. "The first words you ever said to me was: 'Aren't you a little short for a storm trooper?'"

Leia shook her head with a smirk. "Well, you were! Storm troopers that I'd seen were generally six foot or taller."

Luke smiled. "It wasn't the most well-planned rescue on our part," he admitted, and she bent down to kiss his cheek.

"But you did it. Oh stars…remember the trash compactor!" she exclaimed. "We were nearly crushed flat!"

Luke nodded, coughing. "Han's changed the most of all of us, I think," he whispered.

Leia's eyes were twinkling. "Who would have thought he'd soften up and be a family man?" she rubbed Luke's back. "I'm so glad we found each other after all of these years. I always felt like there was a part of me that was missing, but I couldn't quite explain it. I never would have dreamed I had a twin brother hidden somewhere."

"Me too," he replied softly, just as the door to the room opened. Little Anakin dashed in, leaping onto the bed.

"Hey," Luke greeted, holding his arms outstretched. Anakin embraced his Uncle, receiving a kiss on the forehead. Leia smoothed her youngest son's dark hair, and glanced over her shoulder at Han.

"I'll let you two be," she said, standing. She wentto Han, took his arm, and allowed him to lead her out into the hallway. When they were gone, Anakin cuddled up beside Luke.

"Daddy says you're very sick," he said, and Luke nodded.

"That is true." He took a deep breath. "But the healer is going to make me all better."

Anakin's icy blue eyes widened. "How?" he asked, and Luke placed a hand on his chest.

"They are going to put a robot lung in me."

Anakin gasped, and covered his mouth with his hands as he burst into giggles. "That's silly, Uncle Luke! A robot can't live inside of you! Will it talk? Like Three?" he asked, and for a moment, Luke wondered who he meant. Then he laughed, realizing Anakin meant See Threepio. He was about to respond when he covered his own mouth, sneezing loudly. Anakin jumped.

"Bess you!" he called, and Luke glanced at him.

"Thanks. I have a bad cold," he explained.

"You're supposed to blow your nose," Anakin ordered, and Luke began to tickle his sides.

"Oh, am I?" he laughed, pulling the child into his arms. For a moment he held the boy, pressing his lips against the child's hair. "Anakin," he whispered into his ear. "Do you remember who you were named after? Did Mommy and Daddy ever tell you?"

Anakin gazed into his Uncle's eyes. "Yes," he replied. "They named me after Grandpa Ani."

Luke thought about telling Anakin that his father had actually been the famous villain Darth Vader, but he wasn't sure Leia or Han would appreciate that. _Maybe some day, _he thought, clearing his throat painfully.

"Anakin, I want you to know I love you," he told the boy, trying to keep his voice as steady as he could. "I always will."

Anakin's lips turned into a frown, and he chewed on his fingertip. "Mommy says you're dying," she replied, and it was Luke's turn to frown.

"Did she?" he asked, and Anakin shrugged.

"Well, I heard her talking to Jacen and Jaina, and they were both crying. Are you dying?"

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Now what do you think?" he asked, his voice barely audible. Anakin shrugged his shoulders again.

"I dunno," he replied.

"That's why I have to have a robot put into me," Luke told Anakin.

"Didn't Darth Vader have a robot in him too?" Anakin asked. "Jacen and Jaina told me he had breathed like this…" he demonstrated, which made Luke laugh again. "Will that happen to you?"

Luke smirked. "I don't think so," he replied. "And to answer your other question, Anakin, the robot won't be like Three. It'll be in the shape of my lung, to help me breathe."

Anakin wrapped his arms around Luke. "You can't die, Uncle Luke!" he sobbed, and Luke pressed the back of his wrist against his mouth, to avoid sobbing out loud himself. For a few moments, he held the distressed child in his arms, rubbing his back comfortingly.

"Anakin?" he asked. "Can you do me a big favor?" he asked, and the little boy hiccoughed, his cheeks tearstained. Luke wiped the tears away as best as he could. "Could you go and fetch your older brother? I want to talk to all three of you, all right?"

Anakin nodded. "Okay," he whimpered, and Luke gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," he replied, and Anakin scurried off, leaving Luke alone in the room.

He began coughing into his fist, feeling as though his chest were tearing apart. Tears stung his eyes when he finished, and he desparately needed a glass of water. However, the thought of getting out of bed at the moment seemed ludicrous. He sighed, trying to rest his eyes as he waited for the elder Solo son to arrive.

When Jacen did, Luke was still resting, and the boy awkwardly made his way across the bedroom. "Uncle Luke?" he asked the sleeping figure, and frowned. Luke looked terrible…deathly pale and sweaty. Leia peeped in at that moment, and whispered for Jacen to come back to her.

"Let him rest," she told him. "He's exhausted."

"Didn't he want to see me?" Jacen asked, and Leia folded her arms.

"I'm sure he'll want to see you later," she replied. "But if he's sleeping, I don't want to disturb him. All right?"

Jacen nodded, slightly relieved by this sudden change of events. He always felt a little odd when he spent time alone with his Uncle. Jaina seemed to have the strongest relationship with the Jedi Master—she could tell him anything and everything, whenever she felt the need to talk. Anakin adored Luke, naturally. Jacen felt a bit more stand-offish, and wasn't quite sure why. So with a small sigh, he followed his mother out of the room.

When he met Jaina in their room, she cocked her head to one side. "That was fast," she told him, and Jacen sat on her bed beside her.

"Uncle Luke's asleep," he told her. "Mom didn't want to wake him."

Jaina wet her lips. "I'm glad he's deciding to get the surgery done," she replied. "but I can't help but feel scared about it."

Jacen nodded. "I really hope it helps," he added.

"Me too." She glanced at Jacen. "What's wrong?" she asked softly, and Jacen shrugged.

"Oh, it's nothing, really."

Jaina snorted. "Oh, please. I can tell when something's bothering you. I'm not your twin sister for nothing."

"I don't know. I guess I feel weird, because you and Anakin got to spend time with Uncle Luke alone, and he fell asleep before I could." He looked at her. "Don't you find that a little weird?"

Jaina touched his shoulder. "Well, Uncle Luke has a reason to be tired. I'm surprised he was awake long enough to talk with Anakin. He just got back from the med center, so I wouldn't take it personally, Jacen." She frowned.

"I don't know, Jaina. I feel like…I don't know. That he might…"

"Like me better than he likes you?" Jaina laughed. "Don't be stupid, Jacen! He loves both of us! And he loves Anakin. He wouldn't choose favorites. I know Uncle Luke better than that."

Jacen shrugged. "He's just always more formal with me."

"Maybe you could talk to him about it when he's better?" she suggested. "I'm sure you two can work something out. He probably doesn't realize he's hurting you."

Jacen shook his head. "He's not hurting me," he insisted. "I don't know. I'm just being weird, I guess. I just feel like…I don't know."

Jaina hugged Jacen. "You're worried that he might not have much time left?" she asked. "And you feel like you haven't spent as much time with him as you could have?"

Jacen stared at her. "I have to be alone for a while," he told her, and Jaina sighed.

"Jacen," she began to protest. "I didn't mean that in an insulting way."

"I know," he told her. "I just…I have to think about things. I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Uncle Luke said I could go into his study if I wanted, as long as I didn't mess around with anything," he told her. "I think I might feel better if I were in there for a bit by myself." He got up from the bed and headed out of the room, leaving Jaina by herself. She lay down on the mattress, hugging her pillow. _Oh Uncle Luke, _she thought, a single tear rolling down her cheek. _What's going to happen to us? _


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Luke slept off and on throughout the rest of that day. When he was awake, he wasn't quite together, and hardly recognized Leia when she tended to him. She sat next to him for most of the afternoon, blotting his feverish forehead, and easing him into a sitting position when he'd start to cough.

When GC-14, the medi droid, arrived later on, Luke felt a little bit better. "Have you made your decision about the surgery, sir?" the droid asked, and Leia grasped Luke's hand tightly.

"We decided it would be for the best," Luke replied in a tired voice. "Leia, can you hand me a tissue?" he added, groaning and laying back against his pillows. She nodded, walking over to the desk, where the box sat. She brought the box over to the bed and allowed him to pull a few of them out. He managed to cover his face with them before snapping forward, sneezing.

"Bless you!" Leia gasped, and GC-14 rolled to the side of the bed.

"The surgery will have to take place tomorrow afternoon, sir," the droid began again, just as Luke blew his nose. "I would prefer you that you not eat anything from now until then, to be sure your diet won't interfere with the anesthetic. I will give you some medication tonight, sir, that will help you sleep."

Luke pulled another tissue out of the box and blew his nose again, nodding. "Thank you," he croaked, and Leia turned to the droid.

"What are the odds of his surviving this surgery?" she asked, trying to steady her shaking voice.

Luke glanced at her after disposing of the tissues, and bundled himself more comfortably beneath the covers.

"We are ninety nine point nine percent certain he will come through the surgery without any trouble, Miss," he replied, and Luke swallowed.

"And the other one percent?" Leia asked.

"There is always a risk, Miss. But there is more of a risk of death if he did not choose the surgery."

Leia gave a small nod. "Thank you." She turned to Luke, closing her eyes, and lowering her head.

"I will return this evening to give you your medication, Master Skywalker." GC-14 rolled out of the room, the doors shutting behind him. When silence passed between the twins for a few moments afterwards, Luke eventually cleared his throat.

"I would like to see Jacen," he told Leia softly. "I do feel horrible about having fallen asleep before he got here before."

Leia smiled warmly at her brother. "Jacen understands," she replied. "If you're sure you're feeling strong enough, I'll send him. Otherwise, I would definitely recommend getting as much sleep as you can."

Luke coughed, massaging his aching chest. "I do want to see him." He nodded, and Leia kissed his forehead.

"All right. I'll be back. Hopefully he hasn't gone too far." She swept out of the room, leaving Luke by himself. While he was gone, he leaned against the headboard, refusing to close his eyes until he got to see his nephew. He rubbed his temples, feeling terrible that Han and Leia were having to spend their vacation worrying about him. _I'll have to make it up to them, _he thought, just as the double doors opened, revealing Jacen and Leia.

"Mom, I'll be fine by myself," Jacen insisted, rolling his eyes.

Luke turned towards them, waving as Leia backed away, and Jacen soon entered the room. "Hi," Luke spoke softly. "I'm sorry I missed you earlier."

Jacen came over to the bedside, taking his Uncle's hand comfortingly. "That's okay. You're sick, so you have to sleep."

Luke patted the empty side of the bed, encouraging Jacen to join him. "What's bothering you, Jacen?" he asked, once the boy was sitting down. "You seem a little on edge. And I don't think it has just to do with my illness, either."

Jacen looked into his Uncle's eyes. Luke always knew what people were feeling…that must be what came with his Jedi powers.

Jacen shrugged. "It's just stupid stuff," he insisted. "That's all."

Luke touched his hand. "If it's disrupting your normal pattern of thought, than it certainly isn't stupid."

Jacen sighed. "I don't know. It's…I guess it's about you," he finally spoke. He paused, and Luke gave a nod.

"Go on," he encouraged.

"I don't know. I guess, I feel like…you don't love me as much as you love Jaina and Anakin."

Luke raised his eyes. "You know that's not true, Jacen," he replied. "I love all of you very much."

Jacen wet his lips. "You just seem softer and more informal with them, that's all."

Luke chuckled warmly. "Well, Jacen, they express their need for hugs and kisses openly. They cuddle with me openly. I don't automatically shower you three with affection, unless you show me you want it."

Jacen managed a small smile, remembering how Jaina had run and jumped into Luke's arms when they arrived the previous day. Jacen admitted that he did feel a little uncomfortable when adults babied him, and tried to stand off to the side at family gatherings. Luke stroked his forehead, brushing a few stray strands of hair away from his eyes.

"You see?" he asked. "I don't want you to doubt for a second that I love you."

Jacen embraced his Uncle, burying his face against the Jedi Master's shoulder. He felt Luke place a kiss against his temple, and the gesture made him hug his Uncle even more tightly.

"I want you to get well, Uncle Luke," he choked.

Luke stroked the back of his head. "Whatever happens is the way of the Force, Jacen. I want you to remember that even if I do not make it through the surgery, that I will always be with you."

Jacen released his grasp from his Uncle, not ashamed at all now to be shedding tears. Luke reached over and grabbed a tissue, offering it to him. "You're going to come out fine," Jacen insisted. "You'll see."

Luke gave a weak nod.

"Should I get Jaina?" Jacen hiccouged, wiping his nose with the tissue, and drying his eyes.

Luke took a deep breath, bracing himself for the worst with Jaina. "I'm glad you felt comfortable to tell me what was bothering you, Jacen." Luke hugged and kissed him again. "I won't bite you," he added. "If you ever want to hug or kiss me, don't hesitate."

Jacen smiled. "Okay." He gave his Uncle a kiss on the cheek. "I'll go get Jaina. You might want to have the tissues ready, because she's been a sob fest all day."

Luke chuckled, watching as Jacen hurried out of the room. Sure enough, when she arrived, barely a word between them was exchanged. Jaina threw herself into her Uncle's arms, sobbing hysterically. He held her tight, rocking her gently.

"Shhh," he whispered into her ear. "Shhhhh. Oh sweetheart." He kissed her cheek.

"Uncle Luke," she choked. "I'm so scared." She accepted a tissue once her sobs slowed down.

"I know." He touched her cheek with the palm of his hand, closing his eyes as she grasped it tightly, lacing her fingers through his. "By this time tomorrow night, I'll be feeling much better," he told her.

Jaina slid under the covers, snuggling against her Uncle's side. "How long will you have to stay in bed for after the surgery, Uncle Luke?" she asked, allowing him to stroke her hair.

"I would say at least two weeks," Luke replied. "And I'll probably have to use a wheel chair even after that."

Jaina frowned. "I wish we didn't have to go back to Coruscant," she said. "I want to stay with you."

Luke chuckled softly. "Well, you soon will," he promised.

"But that's six years away! It seems like forever and ever!" Jaina exclaimed. "The week we have to visit on holidays is so short."

Luke kissed her. "I know." He let out a yawn, blinking. "Excuse me. I'm falling asleep here, sweetheart."

Jaina cocked her head to one side. "I should let you sleep then," she told him.

"I'm sorry, honey. I'm trying," he whispered, yawning again. "Could you do me a favor?" he sniffed, coughing.

"What?" she asked.

"Could you find your mother? The medi droid wanted to give me a bit of medication tonight. I don't want to forget to take it."

Jaina nodded, giving her Uncle a big hug. "I love you so much, Uncle Luke," she whispered, and he hugged her back.

"I love you too." He watched as she slid off the edge of the bed, and as she scurried through the main doors to his room. He felt so exhausted at this point, that his head spun. He snuggled down against his pillows, trying to rest his eyes, but another bout of harsh coughing shook him. He felt tears filling his eyes as he pressed the back of his hand against his mouth, forcing himself to take a decent breath.

He was still coughing when Leia arrived, and she immediately fetched him a glass of water. "Take a small sip," she encouraged, easing the edge of the glass against his cracked lips. He swallowed a tiny mouthful, closing his eyes as the cool liquid slid down his sore throat. "Is that a little better?" she asked, feeling his forehead. "You're running a bit of a fever again." She sighed, sitting down, and produced two of the small, white pills GC-14 had given her.

"Leia," Luke whispered, once he took the medicine, and was lying comfortably…or as comfortably as possible again.

"Mmm?" she asked, placing the half-empty glass on his nightstand.

"I don't want you, Han, or the children seeing me before the surgery," he told her.

Leia's eyes widened. "Are you nuts?" she asked. "Why?"

He took her hand. "It's hard enough facing the fact that I'm having this done at all," he whispered, "let alone having to see you. I'm not being insulting," he added quickly, "but I just think it would make me more nervous to see everyone."

Leia lowered her head, wetting her lips. "I would think it would give you something to encourage you," she replied. "Seeing our faces before the anesthetic takes over might be a good motivator."

Luke smiled. "Please, Leia," he begged.

"Oh Luke." She gave him a hug. "If that's what you'd like, then I'll have to agree." She kissed him.

"I'm sorry, Leia," he told her, and she shook her head.

"Luke, I love you. We all love you more than I can even say."

There was a knock on the door, and both twins glanced towards it. "Come in, Han," Luke called, and Leia stared as the former Corellian smuggler entered, with Chewbacca at his heels. Chewie gave a low roar, and Luke waved softly.

"He just took his medication, Han," Leia announced. "So he might not have much time to chat."

Luke chuckled. "I might start getting a little loopy," he warned, and Han came over to the bed.

"No problem. I had to put up with your whining on the Falcon, so I think I can handle a little loopiness." He winked, and Leia smacked him gently on the arm. "Hey Chewie," she greeted, and the wookiee grunted and snuffled, nodding his head in a return greeting. "Are the kids back in their room?" she added, and Han nodded.

"Yeah. Jaina's still a little shaken up, but she'll be fine."

Leia stood. "Well." She raised her arms. "Should I let you two have a few moments alone, or do you want me here?" she asked, and Han looked at her.

"Why don't you go and check on the kids yourself, sweetheart?" he asked, and she pecked a kiss on his lips.

"All right. Luke, I'll see you before we go to bed," she added, and left the room.

Han glanced awkwardly at the ceiling, feeling a little emore than out of place. It was really odd seeing one of the most famous rebels and Jedi Master bed-ridden. Then again, Luke had never been one of the healthiest of kids, even when they first met. He'd always been unusually thin and scrawny, and allergic to practically everything, if he remembered correctly.

"All right there, Han?" Luke finally spoke up, and Han looked at him. "Yeah," he replied, shaking his head. "Sorry, kind of distracted."

Luke chuckled. "Mmmm." He cleared his throat.

"So," Han began again, "ready to go under tomorrow, junior?"

Luke shrugged. "I guess that would be putting it lightly." He took another breath. "I told Leia I don't want you four seeing me off tomorrow," he explained, his voice weaker than ever. Han smirked.

"Your sister won't listen to you, kid. She'll not only see you off, but she'll probably spend the night outside the med-center door."

Luke smiled. "It wouldn't surprise me if she did," he admitted. "But you have to promise to keep her away, Han. This is supposed to be a vacation for you. I'm sorry I'm so sick." He coughed, closing his eyes, and tried desaparetely to fight the pain. Han glanced at Chewie, who stood by the desk, and the wookiee gave a low rumbling growl. Han reached over to give Luke a squeeze on the shoulder.

"Well, no use feeling sorry for yourself now," he replied. "Do you want us to make an announcement to your students about this? No doubt you'll be laid up for a while after the surgery."

Luke had been worrying so much about how his family would react to the surgery, that he'd completey forgotten about his pupils! Sure, it was holiday break, but they still needed to know. The vacation only lasted a week.

"Tell Threepio to make the announcement in the morning," Luke replied. "He really likes to feel useful."

Han snorted. "If that's what you want, kid."

Chewbacca gave another small rawr, and a chuckle, causing both men to stare.

"Sorry, Chewie," Luke apologized, yawning into his fist. "I didn't mean to ignore you."

The wookiee gave a grunt, and Han nodded.

"He says it's no problem. But we'd better go, anyway…you really need to take it easy. Looks like the meds are already kicking in."

Luke blinked sleepily, nodding in agreement.

"Thanks for being here, Han." He yawned again, settling down beneath the blankets. Han watched as Luke's eyes closed, and waited until his breathing relaxed into a somewhat normal pattern, before standing up. He tucked Luke in more comfortably, and raised his eyes to Chewie.

"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes. "I know I've gone soft. But hey, it comes with being a Dad." He winked, and led the wookiee out of the room, shutting the double doors quietly behind him.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Early the next morning, Jaina was the first in her family to wake up. She gazed at the ceiling, listening to the calm breathing of Jacen and Anakin. That afternoon, according to her parents, was when Uncle Luke's surgery was taking place, and she felt absolutely terrified for him.

She turned over in her small bed, staring at the wall. The Jedi Acadamy was still quiet, which probably meant most of the students were either still asleep, or being politely silent. How Jaina longed to cuddle with her Uncle, wanting to be certain he was going to be fine.

However, strict orders from her mother and father forbade her from seeing him at all until after the operation. She gave a somewhat loud sigh, struggling to sit up, and ran her fingers through her straight brown hair. Blinking her eyes sleepily, she glanced towards the window, and saw that a bright ray of sunlight streamed through the crack in the curtains.

Eventually, she slid out of bed, tiptoeing across the rug. She took her pink robe from the hook in the closet, wrapped it around herself, and peered out into the empty corridor. She turned to the right, and soon saw See Threepio waddling in the opposite direction. Quickly, she shut the door, and hurried after the droid, catching up to and stopping him with her hand.

"Oh!" Threepio turned slightly, staring down at the girl beside him. "Good morning, Mistress Jaina. How might I be of service?" he asked.

"Where were you going, Threepio?" she asked, and the protocol droid cocked his head to one side.

"Why, I was going to make an announcement for Master Luke."

"Is he awake?" she asked, and Threepio raised his mechanical hands.

"If I recall correctly, Mistress Jaina, I do believe he was awake, yes."

"Oh, good. Can you do me a big favor, Threepio?" she pulled the robot into a corner. "I really want to see Uncle Luke. It wouldn't technically be breaking my promise…it's still morning."

"Might I inquire what you mean?" Threepio asked.

"I want to go and visit him, but I don't want my parents or brother's to know. Could you tell them I've gone to get breakfast?"

"But breakfast doesn't begin for another two hours, Mistress Jaina. That would be a fib."

Jaina slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Tell them I went for a walk, then," she told the droid. "If they ask. If they don't, then don't say anything at all. Okay?"

Threepio watched as she scurried away, and raised his arms again in exhasperation as he tottered off towards the control room. "Sometimes I just don't understand human behavior!" he exclaimed.

Jaina reached her Uncle's room, just in time to hear a loud sneeze erupt from behind the door. She pressed the security code on the panel…Luke had given it to his family members only…and watched as the doors slid open. She hurried inside, just as Luke was blowing his nose, and coughing.

"Jaina!" he sniffled, staring at her. "What are you doing up so early?"

She hurried over to the bed. "Bless you, Uncle Luke," she told him with a smile, and he chuckled.

"Thanks. I thought I told your parents not to let you in until after this evening when the surgery is over," he told Jaina, accepting a kiss.

"I know," Jaina replied. "But I'm just so worried. You won't tell them, will you, Uncle Luke?" she asked, and the Jedi-Master stroked her cheek gently.

"I'll let it go this time," he squeezed her hands, allowing her to slide beneath the blankets with him. She cuddled close to his side, surprised at how warm he felt. He held her tightly, placing his lips against her hair in a small kiss, and then rested his cheek against the top of her head. "I'll be just fine," he whispered into her ear. "This time tomorrow, I'll be starting my recovery."

She smiled at him. "I love you, Uncle Luke." She whispered, and he felt his throat choking up with tears.

"Oh my baby girl, I love you," he whispered back, holding her tight. "Now," he added, lifting her chin. "I'll need you to help your mother. I'll need you to be strong for me, all right? Everything is going to be just fine if we all keep our faith."

Jaina nodded. "I'll try," she replied, and he smoothed her hair.

"Good girl. Go back to bed, love. It's still pretty early," Luke added, and, with another quick kiss, he watched as she dashed for the door. He closed his eyes, leaning back against his pillows, and prayed that he would in deed come out of it all right. He only had four hours left until the surgery began, and it felt as though it were happening within minutes. He closed his eyes, trying his best to settle down.

Jaina managed to make it back to her room and into bed, just before Han came to wake them at eight o'clock. She buried herself beneath the blankets just as the door sopened, and cringed when he turned the lights on.

"Up and at 'em, kids," Han announced. Jacen and Anakin reluctantly sat up, yawning and stretching. Jaina rose calmly, accepting a hug from her father.

"Hi Dad," she greeted sleepily.

"Good morning, princess," Han replied, pecking a kiss on her forehead. "Did you sleep okay?"

Jaina shrugged. "I guess so," she replied honestly.

"Uncle Luke gets operated on today, doesn't he?" Jacen asked, and Han nodded.

"Yeah, he does…at eleven. I think it's nine now."

"Can we see him?" asked Anakin, his hair sticking up in every direction.

"I'm afraid not," Han replied. "You heard your mother last night."

"Heard what?"

Everyone turned, to see Leia standing in the doorway. "Mommy!" Anakin exclaimed, and ran to his mother, letting her scoop him up into her arms.

"Nice hair," she teased, running her fingers through it.

"And in response to what," Han began, "we were deciding…who gets to tickle Mommy first!" he laughed heartily at Leia's fake cry of distress, and watched as the twins ran for her. Jaina and Jacen wrapped their small arms around her waist, giggling and jumping up and down.

"Family hug," Han added, joining in.

"Can we see Uncle Luke, Mom?" Jacen begged. "Please?"

"I'm afraid not, love. It was his wish for us not to see him off."

Jaina gulped, hoping her parents couldn't see her red face.

"Awwww," Anakin pouted.

"You'll be able to see him tonight, though. I promise," Leia gave each of them kisses, and then planted one on Han's lips.

"I'm hungry!" Anakin quickly spoke, and Han snorted.

"Well, get dressed, and we'll head to the mess hall."

They suddenly heard Threepio's voice over the main intercom, and everyone looked up at the speaker on the ceiling. Leia urged Han out of the room, so the children could dress, and they continued to listen to the droid's announcement.

"Master Skywalker will be going into extensive surgery as of eleven hundred hours today. Classes will be postponed for approximately twenty two days. Any questions will be answered by myself. See Threepio, Human Cyber Relations. Good day."

La had to laugh, and shook her head. "Honestly," she chuckled. "That droid!"

Han wrapped an arm around his wife, kissing her forehead. "How are you holdin' up?" he asked, noticing how Leia's voice shook a little. She leaned against him, taking a deep breath. "Go and see him, Leia. He won't be upset if you do."

Leia shook her head. "I can't, Han. He begged me not to." She sighed, allowing him to hold her. "Two hours…I don't think I'm going to be able to stand it."

Han rubbed her shoulders. "He'll be just fine, Leia. Luke always bounces back pretty fast."

Leia wiped her eyes, and chewed on her lower lip. "I honestly don't want to leave Yavin 4 until he gets back on his feet," she whispered. "I think I'll want to stay until his main recovery period is over."

Han nodded. "Then we'll do it. We weren't expecting Luke to get this sick while we were here."

Leia held Han tighter. "Oh Han," she sobbed. "I'm going crazy."

He raised his eyes. "Calm down, Leia. Be tough for Luke's sake. Okay?"

Leia nodded, just as Anakin, Jacen and Jaina came out, ready for the day. Jaina had her hair in two braids, which was quite surprising. Usually, she only pulled her hair back into a ribbon, and rarely took the time to fix it up. "You look pretty," Leia complimented, and Jaina beamed.

"Thanks," she replied, and they began their treck to the mess hall.

At ten thirty, the medi droid entered Luke's room, announcing that it was time to bring him to the med center. Luke lay in bed, feeling extremely groggy from the medication he'd taken the night before.

"How are you, sir?" the droid asked, and another entered with a wheel chair.

Luke shrugged, coughing. "Terrified, thanks. How are you?" he hated to be sarcastic at a time like this, but he couldn't help himself. It was almost unrealistic that this was going to happen.

He allowed the droid to help him to his feet, and his head spun as soon as he stood upright. The walk from his bed to the wheel chair left him almost completely out of breath, and he gratefully lowered himself onto the cushioned seat. "Easy, sir," the droid warned, and Luke closed his eyes.

"How long do you think this will take?" he asked, as they began to wheel him out.

"I do believe about three hours, sir," the droid replied. "It is quite a process. The difficult part will be attaching the wires."

Luke felt a pang of fear again in his stomach…three hours. He swallowed, feeling nauseous, but fought it down. As they reached the med center, he took a deep breath, and his eye caught the gleam of the metal operating table. Another droid was finishing cleaning it, and when he was finished, he greeted Luke with a, "Good day, sir," before rolling off.

As instructed, Luke changed out of his pajamas, and put on one of the familiar paper dresses. He felt completely stupid, and even moreso once he was lying flat on the table. It felt cold against his skin, and he shivered a little.

He tried to block everything from his mind, deciding to go into a Force trance. He barely felt the prick of the IV needle, which would administer the anesthetic. _Leia, _he thought, his mind clouding with darkness. _Leia, I love…_everything went black.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A half an hour after Luke was brought to the med center, Han, Leia, the kids and Chewbacca gathered in the common area. Threepio bustled about taking care of academy business, comforting the students who came to him in a panic after hearing the announcement.

Leia lay on the couch, gazing up at the ceiling; Jacen sat playing with his pet lizard; Jaina curled up beside the couch reading, and Han was in the midst of building a fortress out of blocks with Anakin. A familiar "wooo beep beep!" broke the silence, and the Solo family saw Artoo Detoo rolling through the double doors.

"Artoo!" Jaina cried, hopping up from her spot on the rug, and hurried to the astrodroid. Artoo gave another woeful bleep, which sounded as though he were expressing his sympathy for Luke's condition. Leia, too weary to lift her body from the couch, turned towards him, and smiled.

"Thank you," she replied, and Han cocked his head.

"You understood what the thing said?" he asked, and Chewbacca gave a small rawr, from where he stood by the window.

"Luke taught me how to understand the tone of the bleeps and other noises he makes," Leia explained, as the bot rolled over to the couch. She eventually forced herself to sit up, and peered down at the bot. "Artoo?" she asked, and the droid gave another bleep of acknowledgement. "Could you go and check on my brother for me?" She grinned to herself, thinking it would be less irritating to Luke if he knew a droid had come to check on him, and not a family member.

"Beep, beep, woooo." Artoo's red eye moved about, just as Threepio waddled in. "Artoo Detoo, are you causing another racket?" he asked, receiving a nasty sounding noise from the smaller droid. Artoo wobbled and rocked from side to side, whistling. "Master Luke? Naturally, he's under anesthesia now. And no, it would not be appropriate to visit him at this time."

Leia frowned at Threepio. "I asked if he would check on him for me." She looked at Han and Anakin, who were watching her worriedly. "I'll be back," she added, standing. Jaina wet her lips, and re-joined Jacen on the floor. Han shook his head with a sigh, giving Threepio a glare.

"Are you quite all right, Mistress Leia?" Threepio asked, watching as the former princess of Alderaan reached the doors.

"Mmmm? Oh, I'm fine, Threepio."

Han raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going exactly?" he asked, placing a block onto the pile, and allowing Anakin to crawl onto his lap. She smiled.

"I think I'll feel better if I spent some time alone in Luke's room," she told him. "Setting things up for when he's ready to come back."

Han nodded in understanding. "Okay, sweetheart. Just let me know if you need anything." Jacen and Jaina's expressions were sad, and the two of them glanced at each other as their mother disappeared from the common area.

Leia made her way down the corridor, hugging herself around the middle. She closed her eyes, trying to connect with Luke's mind. He seemed to be at peace at the moment, though she could detect a tiny hint of pain. She turned the corner and walked down another corridor, allowing the tears she'd been holding back to fall down her cheeks. '_I love you, Luke. Please,' _ she begged. '_Please don't take my brother from me. Not after I just found him._' She reached Luke's room, punching in the code, and watching the doors open.

The bedroom was silent, and the bed was still a mess from when Luke had last been in it. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and made her way over to the bed. She could still detect her brother's calming scent, and sat down on the edge of the mattress. It was still somewhat warm, the sheets and the quilt. Standing up again, she began to smooth the sheets, making the bed and folding the blankets down halfway. She gazed around the room, taking in the items Luke had put there. On his desk sat a photograph of the two of them after Leia's wedding. Han and Leia's wedding picture sat beside it, and a portrait of all three children sat on the other side.

Leia smiled softly, reaching over to pick up the framed photo of herself and Luke, laughing quietly at his wide grin. He'd pulled her aside after the wedding, saying how proud of her he was. She set the picture back down on the desk, and lay down on Luke's bed. Just being in his room made her feel a bit more calm; perhaps he left a residual presence of some sort. Closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep.

In the med center, the surgical droid had just completed making the first incision on Luke's chest. The Jedi Knight lay very still on the operating table, an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. Blood dripped down the young man's side, into a metal bucket that an assistant droid held in his mechanical fingers. So far, everything was going quite well, and quite timely in the droid's opinion.

_It was so dark, but it wasn't cold. Suddenly, Luke saw swirls of colors surrounding him; he breathed them in…they smelled so sweet. Leia. So sweet…so sweet. "The Force will be with you. Always." Ben? The colors were fading a little, but they were still so blindingly bright. Ben, where are you…use the Force, Luke. The Force. Swirls of energy. Swirls of color; so sweet…my dearest sister, Leia…_

The droid finished slicing Luke's chest, revealing his pulsing heart and blackened lung. To a normal human being, the sight before the animatronic figure would have been sickening. But the droid felt nothing of the sort, and accepted a tiny pair of scissors. The right lung was perfectly natural, but the left was slowly being eaten away. How the Jedi had survived this long, was purely a miracle.

Threepio, at that moment, happened to approach the med center door. He had come on a dare from Artoo Detoo, who had taunted that he wouldn't be able to stand the sight of Luke during the surgery. "Utterly ridiculous!" Threepio had scoffed. "Frightened! What does that tin plated ninnyhammer mean? I'm a protocol droid. I do not have feelings. Daring me to look in. What nonsense." He peered through the glass window, just as a sudden spark shot out of the surgical droid. That single spark was followed by several more, and the area around it swirled in smoke.

Threepio raised his metallic hands in alarm, letting out an astonished, "Ohhhhh!" he abruptly turned, and began to waddle as fast as he could towards the common area, desparate to find Captain Solo and the children. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! Help! Help!"

Han heard the droid's cries of distress from down the hallway, and abandoned the game of patty cake he'd been playing with Anakin. He stuck his head out through the door, and saw Threepio flailing as he shuffled along the carpet. "Oh, oh, Captain Solo, it's dreadful! It's dreadful!" Threepio cried, and Jaina stood up, alarmed.

"What's up, goldenrod?" Han asked.

"Master Luke! It's Master Luke…he's dying!"

Threepio didn't need to explain any further. Han shoved the golden droid aside, and took off a fast as he could towards the medical center. "Dad!" Jacen, Jaina and Anakin shouted in unison, listening to Threepio's repeated "Oh goodness gracious, oh dear…" Artoo gave a somewhat satisfied whistle from where he stood in the corner.

Threepio smacked the astrodroid over his domed head. "Watch your language, Artoo! Master Luke is in great danger!"

Artoo warbled another reply, and Threepio raised his head. "What do you mean, don't worry about it?" he snapped, and Artoo explained himself. "Yes, yes, I suppose that's true. Master Luke is quite clever, for a human being."

Han was nearly out of breath by the time he reached the med center, and he burst through the double doors. He coughed as a result of the smoke, though what caught his eye made him gag a little. Luke lay on the table, cut open and bleeding. Another spare medi droid was preparing to continue where the broken one had left off, and it's sensors detected Hans' presence. "Sir, I will have to ask you to leave," he said in his drone of a voice. Han took a gulp of air, and aimed a pointer finger at it.

"What happened?" he asked, panting.

"We had an emergency, sir, but it is being taken care of."

"Taken care of." Han nodded. "Yes, right." He gulped, escaping from the med center just in time to see the children running towards him. "What…Jacen, Jaina, Anakin, I told you to stay where you were!" he snapped, and Anakin looked at him.

"No you didn't," he replied innocently. "You just ran out."

"What's…is Uncle Luke dying?" Jaina asked, her voice in practially a squeak.

"Ugh, smells awful!" Jacen added, waving his hand in front of his face.

"They have a spare surgeon in there," Han told her. "But Luke seems to be in pretty bad shape right now. Jaina, go find your mother, but tell her Luke's going to be fine. No need to worry her unless there really is something to worry about."

"Okay," Jaina replied, still feeling terrified. She gave her brother's a quick glance, before hurrying towards Uncle Luke's quarters.

As soon as his sister disappeared around a corner, Jacen raised an eyebrow at his father. "Good going, Dad," he smirked. "Now Mom's gonna ground you when she finds out you're fibbing."

Han scowled at his son. "Back to the common room," he ordered, lifting Anakin, and, with one last look over his shoulder, followed Jacen.

_Luke. _As Leia continued to sleep, she realized she could hear him. She could hear her brother, though his voice was so faint, so weak. _Luke, I'm here. _Why wasn't he answering her? He usually did if she called.She turned over on her side, stretching out and trying to get comfortable. _Luke. Luke? _She could no longer feel him at all now. _Oh Kreth_…she felt perspiration popping out on her forehead, and suddenly jolted awake with a scream, when she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Mom?"

Leia turned around again, and saw Jaina standing beside her. Her face was pale, and she was trembling. "Jaina?" she asked.

"The medi droid short circuited while he was working on Luke," she sobbed.

Leia felt suddenly faint. "What…he's…is he…I was cut off," she whispered, and Jaina shook her head.

"Threepio told us what happened, so Dad went to go and check it out. He's still breathing, and there's another droid that was the assistant. I don't know exactly how Uncle Luke is, though. Dad wouldn't tell us," she lied.

Leia pulled her daughter into her arms, pressing her lips against the young girl's soft brown hair. For a moment, neither of them spoke…only held each other. When Leia let go of Jaina, she stroked her daughter's forehead. "Uncle Luke is still with us," she told her. "That's all that matters. He's still alive."

"I just want him to be well again," Jaina whispered, and Leia smiled softly.

"Me too, love. Me too." She gave Jaina another kiss, and aided the little girl onto the bed. It had only been an hour and a half since Luke had gone into surgery, and no doubt the short circuiting droid would postpone things even longer. Then there would be the process of rousing Luke from the anesthesia, which, depending on the person, could be a bit difficult.

"Do you remember the song I used to sing to you, Jaina, before you went to slep?" Leia asked, trying her best to keep her mind off of the current situation. Jaina smiled, and began to sing the first verse. "You mean this one?" she asked, and closed her eyes.

"_When the busy day is done,  
And my little weary one  
Rocketh gently to and fro;  
When the night winds softly blow,  
And the crickets in the glen  
Chirp and chirp and chirp again;  
Where 'pon the haunted green  
Fairies dance around their queen,  
Then from yonder misty skies  
Cometh Lady Button Eyes._"

Leia nodded, holding Jaina close. "Your Uncle Luke taught me that," she whispered. "He said he learned it from his Aunt. Supposedly they used to sing together every night before they went to sleep."

Jaina tried to imagine her Uncle singing, and had to giggle. Luke was so quiet now, and probably because of his illness, didn't sing very often anymore. "Maybe he'll start singing again when he feels better," she suggested. "I don't think I've ever heard him."

Leia smiled. "He has a very nice voice," she replied. "It's deep, but smoothe." She took a deep breath. "Oh Jaina," she breathed, closing her eyes tightly.

"Mom, I don't mind if you cry," Jaina insisted. "I miss Uncle Luke, too."

Leia pressed the back of her wrist against her lips, her shoulders trembling as a new set of sobs were released. Before she knew it, she and Jaina were both sound asleep again, exhausted from crying. _Luke, _she thought, feeling comfort from having her arms around her daughter, _I wish you could hear me. I wish you knew just how much we love you. How much we need you to get through this. Please don't give up on me, Luke. Don't give up. _

Author's Note--the verse I used is from the novel "Beloved", by Toni Morrison, called "Baby Button Eyes".


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Time passed ridiculously slow. Han, Jacen, Anakin and Chewbacca brought lunch trays to Leia and Jaina, who were now sitting cross-legged on the bed and talking in quiet voices. The family gathered onto the mattress together, holding each other and exchanging comforting looks. Chewbacca stood by the window, swaying occasionally from side to side.

"Is it ever going to end, Mom?" Jacen asked, after silence had passed for a good while. His voice sounded sleepy, and Anakin yawned, stretching his feet. He accidentally kicked Jacen's shoulder, where he lay across his father's lap. "Ow!" he growled, and Anakin muttered an apology.

"I don't know, sweetheart. I wish I did," Leia replied sadly. She glanced at her watch…it had been over five hours since the surgery began, and she had been correct about the post poning of it due to the short circuiting droid.

Han eventually blew out his breath in irritation, and slid Jacen off of his lap. "I'm goin' to check things out," he announced, and Leia frowned at him.

"I wouldn't recommend it," she told him, feeling extraordinarly exhausted. The only reason she could think of that made her feel so drained, was the fact that she was not connected to her brother's Force energy. That, and the enormous amount of crying she had done.

"It'll be fine, Leia. It's been pretty long." He kissed her cheek. The kids, who normally made groans of disgust when their parents showed signs of affection to each other, were too cranky and miserable to say anything. Han slid off the bed, and motioned with his arm for the wookiee to join him.

They just reached the corridor, when Han noticed Threepio waddling towards them. The droid was practically bouncing as he walked, his hands raised. "Oh, Captain Solo! Master Luke's surgery is nearly complete!"

Han stared at the droid and blew out his breath, relieved. He was surprised Leia hadn't sensed it, but then again, Luke had gone through a pretty traumatic experience with the first medi droid. That, mixed with the effects of the anesthesia, probably was a prominent point.

"I believe he is going to pull through just fine, sir. Though the medi droid is a bit concerned with Master Luke's temperature."

"Might be having a reaction to the anesthetic," Han muttered, cursing quietly to himself. "Thanks, goldenrod. I owe you one." He continued walking to the med center, his heart racing. He couldn't believe how their vacation was turning out. Not that he could blame Luke entirely, though the Jedi Master's stubbornness had gotten the better of him again.

_Luke, _Han thought to himself, _really does put a whole new meaning on the word impossible. _He reached the med center at last, and peered through the glass window. _The kid would probably Force choke me if he knew I was here, _he thought with a bit of amusement. Luke still lay on the operating table, though the medi droid was in the midst of stitching him up. Splatters of blood covered the robot, as well as the table and the floor.

"Please, kid," Han begged. "You have to pull through this. And not just for Leia," he added, "or for the kids. But for me, too." He touched the door, wanting to sit beside his friend, but sat down on the bench instead. "Life just wouldn't be the same without you, junior." He sighed, fiddling with the sleeve of his shirt. In his mind, he could see the towheaded youth and the old man approaching him and Chewbacca for the first time in the Mois Eisley Cantina. Luke had been so innocent then, so young and nervous, but clearly anxious to get out and see the galaxy.

_"What's the cargo?"_

_"Only passengers. Myself, the boy, two droids. And no questions asked." _

_"What, are you guys in some kind of local trouble?"_

_"Let's just say, we'd rather like to avoid any…imperial entanglements."_

Han sighed, remembering when his primary focus had been paying off his debt to Jabba the Hutt. He'd only accepted Luke and the old man onto the Falcon, because they'd promised him seventeen thousand…double his asking price. "And yet," he thought aloud, leaning against the wall. "If I hadn't met Luke, I wouldn't be living the life I am now. I wouldn't have a beautiful wife and such wonderful children." He smirked. "So Luke's gone and tricked me. Instead of his owing me, I probably owe him several more debts." He folded his arms, and glanced at Chewbacca, who had been silent the entire time.

"What are you lookin' at?" he asked, and the wookiee gave a snuffle of laughter.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm talking to myself, I know." He sighed. "I'm tempted to break in there. This wait is what's killing us." He cleared his throat and stood, scratching the wookiee's side. Chewie gave a low rawr, which sounded more like a rumble, and Han grinned.

"You said it, Chewie." Han stood. "Well, not much we can do around here. At least Threepio told us he was doing okay."

Chewie gave another low rawr, and Han rolled his eyes. "Yeah, seriously. But even if he is obnoxious, Threepio's always truthful." He led the wookiee away.

Around dinnertime that evening, Threepio waddled into the mess hall, where the Solo family sat eating. "Master Luke is ready to come out of the med center," he explained, and Leia, without even a second glance at her family, leapt up from her seat and dashed out of the room. Han set his fork down, looked at the twins, Anakin and Chewie, and gave a snort.

"Can we…" Jacen began, and Han shook his head. "Let your mother go alone, Jacen. She'll call us when it's a good time." He ruffled his eldest son's hair, receiving a very faint smile.

Leia reached the med center, just as the medi droid was rolling Luke out into the hallway on a clean stretcher. Luke was still unconscious from the anesthesia, though he was dressed in a very thin nightshirt. "Pardon me, Miss," the droid announced, and Leia stopped him.

"That's my brother," she told him. "I'll take it."

"He has a fever that worries me, Miss. I am going to have to administer an IV drip with antibiotic substance until he begins to come to."

Leia nodded. "All right, but I'm still coming with you." She touched Luke's hand, realizing how hot he truly was. "Oh Luke," she breathed. The walk to Luke's quarters seemed to take even longer than usual, and she used the Force to lift him into the air and to move him over to the bed.

"Very impressive in deed, Miss," the droid told her, rolling over to the side of the bed, and Leia hurried over to help him administer the IV fluids. Luke stirred ever so slightly as she eased his body under the covers, and she smoothed his sweaty bangs away from his eyes.

"He will get through this, won't he? I assume the surgery went well enough?" she asked, sitting down on the mattress.

"I am most certain he will get through the recovery period, Miss, though the fever is a bit too high for my liking. Normally, we would administer a fever reducing tablet, but as he is unconscious, an IV drip is the best we can do."

Leia nodded in understanding. _Luke, sweetheart. _She spoke to him through their mind speech. She still couldn't feel him yet. Well, she was starting to get just a bit of a tremor in the Force, but not the full blown feelings of love and peace she normally received.

"How long will he have to be on bed rest?" she added, holding onto Luke's arm, so the droid could slide the needle into a vein. Again, Luke stirred ever so slightly at the pinch, but it was more of a body twitch than anything else.

"Approximiately twenty two days, miss."

"Oh boy," Leia breathed, raising an eyebrow. No doubt that would seem like torture to her brother, who always seemed to need to be moving. She hoped that once he woke up from the anesthesia, he'd not want to do much more than sleep. He would certainly need as much rest as he could get, that was without question.

Once the IV was set up, the droid told Leia to call for him if Luke had any complications. She thanked him, and went to fill a bowl with cool water from the small bathroom in Luke's quarters. Sitting down on the side of the bed again, Leia began to gently blott her brother's sweaty forehead and cheeks, bending down to kiss his forehead softly.

_Leia. He was still in utter darkness, feeling deathly cold. He hadn't seen proper light for hours, and felt his body weakening as a result. He could hear, or thought he could hear, his sister's voice. Leia…where are you? He tried to swallow, but his mouth was so dry. _

As Leia continued to sit with her brother, she could have sworn she heard his voice in her head. She blinked, peering down at his still-sleeping form. Her hand was holding tightly onto his, and she could very slowly feel warmth starting to creep into it again.

_Luke, sweetheart. I'm here, baby. I'm right here. _

_Leia…he could see the light now. It wasn't very bright, but it was coming from a distance. He reached his hand towards it, vaguely feeling it's heated energy. _

_Luke. It wasn't Leia this time. "Mother?" he squinted, seeing an unfamiliar figure gazing at him. She was exactly as Leia had described her…beautiful, but sad. She gave him a very tiny smile, her long, dark curls blowing around her shoulders. Luke. _

_"Mother…" he reached for her; could feel her hand touching his. It felt so smoothe, and the touch caused his body to tingle. _

_"Goodbye," she told him, and Luke couldn't understand. _

_"Where are you going?" he asked, as the light grew brighter. _

_"Where I can continue to watch over you. Go back to your sister, darling. Goodbye."_

_Goodbye. _

_Luke, are you waking up? Luke? Can you hear me?_

_Can you hear me? _

Leia felt her breath catch in her throat as she saw her brother's eyes flutter, and watched as they opened very slowly. "Oh Luke," she choked, pressing his hand against her lips. He turned towards her, his eyes dull.

"Leia," he croaked. "I saw her," he added, and Leia stared at him.

"Saw who, sweetheart?" she asked, smoothing his cheek.

"Our mother." His voice was so weak, that she could barely hear him. She gasped…Luke had been close to dying, then! She lay down beside him, wrapping her arms around his body. He relished in her being close to him, feeding off of her Force energy. He closed his eyes, trying to get used to breathing with the artificial lung. It didn't seem much different than his old one, though he didn't feel the need to cough quite as badly.

"Leia," he whispered, and she stroked his hair.

"I love you," she told him. "Stars, Luke. I don't tell you that often enough. I love you so much. I love you." She kissed his forehead, and he touched her hand.

"I know." He gave her a faint smile.

"You shouldn't be talking," she added quickly. "You need to rest. I'm going to go and tell Han and the kids that you're awake, but I don't think you'll be able to handle seeing them yet."

Luke wanted to see them. He wanted to see his family, and told her so. "Are you sure?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Not for very long tonight, but I think I'd like to see their faces." He took another breath, and she nodded.

"If that's what you want, Luke, then I'll get them. They'll be so relieved. We've been worried sick about you all day." She wasn't sure if she wanted to mention the short circuiting droid to him just yet. _Maybe when he's more awake and less feverish, _she thought, adjusting the compress on his forehead. He smiled at her, watching as she hurried out of the room.

She fell into Han's arms as soon as she found her husband, and the twins hugged each other, as well as Anakin. "The kids have a confession to make," Han told Leia with a smirk. "Tell her, guys."

Jacen and Jaina blushed, looking at each other. "We said," Jacen began, "if Luke got well, we'd never be bad again."

Leia had to chuckle, covering her mouth with her hand, and Anakin nodded in agreement. "Never ever," he told her.

"Oh dear," she smirked. "I'll have to believe that when I see it." She winked at them. "But Uncle Luke wants to see all of us. However, even though he's awake, he's not feeling very good. So we're going to have to be very quiet when we go in, okay?" she asked, and the children nodded.

"Is he going to be okay? Truly?" asked Jaina, as she and Jacen followed behind their mother. Han carried Anakin, and Chewbacca followed behind the twins.

"I'm sure he will be just fine now," Leia told them. "The medi droid has him on an IV drip to help bring the fever down. He'll have to be on bed rest for two weeks, though. I really don't want to go back to Coruscant until the first bulk of the recovery period is over, Han. I don't think I could bare going back and knowing he might need me."

Han smiled at her, adjusting Anakin on his hip. "Then we'll stay as long as we need to, Leia." She kissed him, grateful for once to hear the twins give "Ewwww's!" of disgust.

When they reached Luke's room, Threepio had just waddled in with Artoo behind him. Luke was talking to the protocol droid in a quiet voice, and when Threepio stopped, he turned around.

"Uncle Luke!" Anakin cried, and Leia placed her finger against her lips in warning for him to be quiet.

Han let Anakin down to the ground, and watched as his youngest son dashed for the bedside. Luke held out his hand for Anakin to take, and smiled faintly as his nephew kissed him. Jacen and Jaina joined their brother, and began talking at once.

"We said we'd be good all the time if you got better!" Jaina explaind, and Jacen added, "We're gonna take good care of you, Uncle Luke!"

Leia wrapped her arm around Han's waist, and felt him squeeze her arm gently.

"Don't crowd him," she warned, and Chewbacca gave a snuffle.

"Does it hurt much?" Jaina asked, noticing the scar down her Uncle's chest. Luke adjusted his body more comfortably on the mattress, cringing.

"Just a little bit, love." He whispered. "I can't talk much," he told them. He glanced at Han, who gave a single wave.

"Hi Han," he whispered, and Leia urged him to go towards Luke. Han awkwardly took Luke's hand, and gave it a squeeze.

"Good to see you awake, Junior."

Luke managed a small chuckle. "I'll never grow up for you, will I, Han?" he asked, and Han snorted.

"Not in my book, pal. But yeah, I think we have to have a talk when you get better. Was thinkin' about some stuff, and I just…I guess I owe you several things." He winked, and Luke smiled at him.

"You don't owe me anything, Han."

"Well, let's go and let Uncle Luke rest," Leia broke in, and the kids groaned.

"Awww, Mom!" Jacen whined.

"Jacen, you Uncle isn't feeling well right now. Maybe in a day he'll be up for more chatter, but he has to rest." She came over, and planted a kiss on her brother's lips.

"Leia, go and rest yourself," Luke told her. "You've been sitting with me all day and worrying."

Leia raised an eyebrow. "All right," she agreed.

"Goodbye, Uncle Luke," the kids told him in unison, and Luke gave a weak wave.

"Goodbye," he told them, and watched as his family disappeared through the double doors again. "I love you," he added, before drifting back to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Over the next couple of days, Luke's fever eventually broke, though the entire process left him extremely exhausted. He didn't feel well enough to handle solid food yet, so Leia brought him bowls of bland broth and cups of tea. "How are you doing today?" she asked, coming in one morning with Threepio at her heels. The droid was carrying the tray, and she found Luke sitting up in bed.

"All right," he told her with a weak smile. "Shouldn't you be on your way back to Coruscant tonight?"

Leia shook her head, sitting on the edge of the mattress. "Han and I agreed to stay with you until at least the first two weeks are over," she told him. "Nothing back home needs my immediate judgement at the moment." She thanked Threepio, and set the tray on her lap.

"You really don't have to stay," Luke told her, accepting a spoonful of broth.

"I want to," she insisted, and Luke found it useless to argue with his sister. Just as he was accepting another spoonful of soup, the doors opened, and the kids dashed in.

"Good morning," he told them, after swallowing.

"I can count to thirty three!" Anakin announced proudly, climbing onto the bed. He bounced excitedly, sending the twins to laughter.

"Let's here it," Luke told him with a small smile, and accepted a hug and a kiss from each of the twins.

"One, two, three, four, five…"

Han entered the room at that moment, and a low warble followed behind him. Artoo rolled in, making low beeps and whistles. "Six, seven, eight, nine…"

Luke winked at his friend, and Han gave him a smile. "Hey Han," he greeted weakly, and watched as the former Corellian smuggler made his way over to the bed. The two of them merely looked at each other for a moment, before Han decided to speak.

"Good to see you looking more alert, junior. Scared us there for a bit."

Luke shrugged, half-listening as Anakin continued counting and bouncing. "Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen…"

Jaina snuggled against her Uncle's side, closing her eyes as he wrapped a free arm around her. Han eventually put a hand on top of Anakin's head, causing the little boy to look up at him.

"I think your Uncle gets the picture, kiddo," he laughed, and Anakin stopped bouncing. Jacen snuggled against Luke's other side, and the Jedi master gave a weak laugh.

"I feel loved today," he teased pecking a kiss on both of their heads. Leia leaned forward to kiss him as well, and nodded towards Han.

"Well, Han and I are going to take a little walk," she told Luke. "Kids, you can stay here, but please be careful. Uncle Luke's still in a bit of pain, all right?"

The children shouted, "Okay!" in unison, and watched as their parents left the room. When Han and Leia were gone, Threepio decided it was time for he and Artoo to take a look around the temple, and make sure that everything was running smoothly. Artoo gave a quiet beep of agreement, and the group watched as the droids followed in the Solo parents' wake. When they were alone, Anakin took Luke's hand.

"So you're all better now?" he asked, and Luke gave him a small smile.

"Hopefully," he told the child.

"You haven't coughed yet," Jaina pointed out. "So that's a good sign." She was quiet for a moment. "Uncle Luke," she began again, "Mama sung to me the lullabye you taught her a while ago. Can I sing it to you?"

Luke cocked his head to one side, trying to remember which lullabye she meant. He hadn't been sung to since he'd been living with his Aunt and Uncle on Tatooine, so the prospect of it was quite enjoyable.

"Sure sweetie," he replied, stroking Jacen's head.

Jaina cleared her throat, and began to sing in a low, but very sweet voice:

"_When the busy day is done,  
And my little weary one  
Rocketh gently to and fro;  
When the night winds softly blow,  
And the crickets in the glen  
Chirp and chirp and chirp again;  
Where 'pon the haunted green  
Fairies dance around their queen,  
Then from yonder misty skies  
Cometh Lady Button Eyes._"

Luke raised his eyes, suddenly remembering the song. He closed them, listening as she continued, and was immediately reminded of home. Well, his original home that was. He hadn't been there since the day the stormtroopers attacked, and wondered if the Lars hut was still standing. It had been so many years since it's destruction, but he still felt as though it occurred just yesterday.

"_Through the muck and mist and gloam  
To our quiet cozy home  
Where to singing sweet and low  
Rocks a cradle to and fro,_"

Jacen and Anakin continued, and soon all three of the children had gone through the song in it's entirety. When they stopped, they realized their Uncle had fallen sound asleep. Jaina put her fingers to her lips, and Jacen very carefully slid out from Luke's arm. "Tuck him in," Jaina whispered, and Anakin climbed down from the bed and onto the floor. Jacen and Jaina pulled the blankets up towards their Uncle's neck, tucking them around their elder's sides, so no airpockets would get in. Luke's breathing was calm now, and he merely shifted to the side as they straightened his pillows.

"Should we stay?" Jacen whispered back, and Jaina frowned.

"Well, Mom and Dad wouldn't know it if we left," she told him. "But I don't want to wake Uncle Luke."

"But it's boring when he's asleep!" Anakin whined, and both twins shot him an annoyed look.

"Uncle Luke's not feeling good," Jacen hissed. "You know that. He just got out of surgery."

Anakin nibbled on his fingertip. "So?" he asked. "He should be all better, then!"

Jaina rolled her eyes at her little brother. "Honestly, Anakin. Are we going to have to teach you everything? Luke has to recover before he's completely better. Didn't you listen to Mom and Dad at all?"

Anakin shrugged, and looked towards the window. "It's kind of hot in here," he pointed out, and Jacen thought for a moment.

"Yeah," he agreed. "It is a little stuffy."

"I'll open a window!" Anakin insisted, dashing towards it. He hopped up and down repeatedly, trying to reach the latch that unlocked it. Jaina and Jacen watched their younger brother with amusement, shaking their heads. "I—can't—reach—it," Anakin panted, eventually having to stop jumping to catch his breath. Jaina giggled quietly.

"Maybe if he stood on your shoulders, Jacen, he could reach it," she suggested, and Jacen glared at her.

"Why always my shoulders?" he asked, hoisting Anakin onto them.

"Because," Jaina replied matter-of-factly, "you're a boy. And boys are stronger than girls. At least with that stuff," she added quickly. Boys were stronger with some things, but not with everything. Anakin let out a soft, "Whoa" when Jacen lifted him up, and the two stumbled over to the window. With the two of them together, they were just tall enough to reach the window latch. Anakin stretched out his tiny, pudgy hand, and suddenly lost his balance. "Eeeeee!" he squealed, just as Jacen went crashing to the ground. Jaina gasped, staring as Anakin clung to the window's edge for dear life.

"Help!" he cried in alarm, kicking his tiny feet frantically. "Help! I'm stucked!"

Jacen rubbed the back of his head with a curse under his breath, and Jaina hurried to stand under Anakin. "Just let go," she said, "and I'll catch you."

Anakin glanced over his shoulder and stared at her. "I don't trust you!" he hissed. "But I can't hold on much longerer!"

Jacen struggled to his feet, using his sister's arm for support. "Anakin, let go! You're not that far from the ground," he insisted, just as Uncle Luke gave a small noise, blinking his eyes open. The twins froze in place, and stared as he turned towards them.

"What's going on?" he whispered. "I'm sorry I…Anakin?" he croaked, noticing the child hanging from the window. He took a deep breath. "Calm down, sweetheart. I'm going to use the Force to lower you to the ground. And then I want a rational explination for this."

Anakin loosened his grip on the windowsill, letting himself fall at last, and was amazed when his Uncle effortlessly floated him towards the carpet. When he was standing on firm ground, he wobbled over to the bed, clinging to Luke's arm.

"I was scareded," Anakin told him, and Luke smoothed his cheek.

"I'm sure you were," he replied. "Now what were you doing hanging from the window?"

Jacen and Jaina glanced at each other. "Well, Anakin wanted to open a window, but he couldn't reach," Jacen explained. "So I let him stand on my shoulders, but he lost balance. I fell down, and he was left hanging from the window."

Luke stroked Anakin's hair. "Well, you could have woken me, and I would have used the Force to open it."

"Plus, you might catch cold if the window's open," Jaina told Luke, suddenly remembering. Luke smiled.

"I won't catch a cold from the cold, honey. That's just a myth."

"What's a myth?" Anakin asked, climbing back ono the bed. Luke hugged him, kissing the top of his head.

"A myth is a type of story that is told for so long, and seems so real sometimes that people start to believe it." He glanced at the twins, who seemed to be pondering the idea.

"Oh," said Anakin. "Aren't you hot, Uncle Luke?"

Luke smiled weakly. "I'm a little cold, actually," he admitted, and the twins clambered onto the bed with him.

"We'll keep you warm, Uncle Luke!" Jaina insisted, and soon they were all snuggling against him, being mindful of his surgical scar. When the kids were comfortable, Luke spoke again.

"Did you know your parents have agreed to stay a little longer?" he asked, and all three of them gasped in surprise, staring.

"Ooooh!" cried Jaina. "How much longer?"

Luke kissed her. "About two weeks."

Anakin stuck his thumb in his mouth, just as Jacen pumped his fist in the air with a, "Cool!" and Luke managed a laugh.

"We shouldn't let you talk so much, Uncle Luke," Jaina said, noticing how the speaking was really taxing him. Luke took a deep breath, cringing in pain. Jaina smoothed his forehead with her small hand, brushing his hair away from his eyes. Luke closed them, gritting his teeth. Eventually, he drifted off again, and the kids decided it wouldn't hurt to take a little nap as well.

When Han and Leia returned to the room about twenty minutes later, they stood in the doorway smiling. Anakin slept at the food of the bed, while Jacen and Jaina both snuggled up to their Uncle's side.

"I don't know what they would have done without him, Han," she whispered, and Han kissed her.

"That kid is amazing," he agreed. "no doubt about it."

"They're his little cuddle bugs," Leia chuckled, gasping as Han wrapped his arms around her waist, dipping her back a little.

"You're my little cuddle bug," he teased, and she stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "Well, since Luke and the kids are clearly out of commission, shall we, your worshipfulness?" he winked, and Leia snorted.

"I'll never grow out of that nickname, will I, nerf herder?" she kissed his lips, and gave his behind a little squeeze. "Go on," she laughed, and the two made their way to their quarters.

Author's Note: Many thanks to Jelp4 for helping me out with this chapter. Again, the poem "Baby Button Eyes" belongs to Toni Morrison. Thanks for all of your feedback so far! I really appreciate it. :o)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Just as Leia had hoped, Luke slept a bulk of the first week. The aftermath pain of the operation came in waves, so the medi droid came at least twice a day to provide medicine for it. It wasn't until the second day of the second week, that Luke wanted to try getting out of bed. Leia hesitated, because he'd been so sick the previous night. "After throwing up for four hours, do you really think you want to try walking around today?" she asked, sitting on the edge of his bed.

He groaned, clearing his throat, and closed his eyes. "Leia, I might forget how to walk if I don't get up eventually."

Leia smoothed his cheek. "I know this is really horrible for you," she told him. "But you really have to take care of yourself. You're still pretty ill." She felt his forehead, glad it wasn't feverish as it had been.

"Let me just walk over to my desk, then," Luke begged. "At least so I can check up on my student's files. I need to know where we stand when we start classes again. We're already horribly behind." He sniffed, looking so pathetic, that Leia had to give in. She moved to the side of the bed, preparing to help her brother slide his legs over the side. He gasped in surprise as he stood for the first time since the surgery, and clung to Leia's arm for dear life.

"I've got you," she insisted, wrapping her arm around his shoulders for support. "Just take it one step at a time, now."

Though it was only about five feet from the bed to the desk, that short walk completely exhausted Luke. He was grateful when she eased him onto the chair, though his head spun from all of the movement. "This is ridiculous," he muttered, resting his head in his arms. "Ugh, I really don't feel good," he whispered, and Leia rubbed his back.

"Do you have to get sick again?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Mmm, no. Not now, anyway."

Leia sighed. "Luke, I should bring you right back to bed. Your students will understand if things are a little jumbled up when you come back. They knew about the surgery."

Luke glanced at her. "Hold me, Leia. I just need…"

Leia wrapped her ams around her brother, resting her cheek against the top of his head. He leaned against her chest, feeling almost childlike. "Oh Luke," she breathed, rubbing his shoulders. "I just wish this never happened."

He sighed softly. "I'm so sorry I ruined your vacation," he apologized, and she gave him a slight glare.

"Luke Skywalker, don't you dare apologize," she snapped. "You couldn't help this."

Luke gave her a sheepish expression. "Well, I could have, if I weren't so stubborn."

Leia kissed his cheek. "It just runs in our family, I guess," she teased, stroking his hair. "Are you sure you don't want to go back to bed?"

Luke shook his head. "No, not now," he told her. "I just have to get used to it. Thanks, Leia." He added, when she released her grip. She gave him another kiss, and squeezed his hand.

"What are sister's for?" she asked, and Luke gave her a small smile.

"Tell the kids I love them, will you?" he asked, when she got up to leave the room. She glanced over her shoulder, and smiled back.

"I will," she added, and made her way to the common area.

When she reached it, she saw Anakin playing a clapping game with Jaina on the floor. "Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man!" Jaina was sing-talking, and Anakin giggled each time their hands touched. Jacen was lounging on the couch and doodling, while Han was discussing something with Chewie in private.

"Mommy!" Anakin squealed, hopping to his feet, and running to her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her legs, nearly throwing her off balance. Leia laughed, hugging him in return, and stroking his hair.

"Hello, sweetheart," she greeted, just as Han came over to kiss her.

"How's he doin'?" he asked, and Leia shrugged.

"He made it from the bed to his desk, so I guess that's something," she admitted, and Jaina gasped, leaping to her feet as well.

"Uncle Luke's walking?" she cried in delight, and Leia put her fingers to her lips.

"Just a tiny bit, love. And don't go bursting in and bothering him right now. He needs peace and quiet."

"Has he finished puking?" Jacen asked, and Jaina glared at her twin.

"Yes," Leia smirked. "For now, anyway."

"Why was he throwing up, Mom? We thought he was okay, right?" Jaina asked, and Leia shrugged.

"Honestly, it might be a reaction to the painkillers. I'm just hoping he hasn't caught another virus. The last thing we want is for him to go into a relapse."

Han rolled his eyes, lifting Anakin into the air. "Wheeeee!" Anakin squealed, as his father bounced him a few times. "Do the Falcon! Do the Falcon!" he added, and Han pretended to fly him around the room, dipping and ducking him on occasion. Leia and Chewie looked at one another, and the wookiee gave a snuffle of amusement. Leia scratched Chewbacca's arm, and then watched as Jacen stood up from the couch.

"I think I'm going to go and read for a while," Leia announced, just as Han set Anakin back onto the floor. "You'll keep an eye on the kids, then?" she asked, and he nodded, saluting her. Anakin was hopping up and down, clearly full of energy from breakfast that morning.

"You shouldn't have had chocolate milk," Leia chuckled, and Anakin ran around her in circles.

"I'll be good, Mama!" he insisted, and at that moment, Jaina scooped her little brother into her arms. He let out a surprised shriek, fighting against her for a moment, and then allowed her to carry him over to the couch. Leia gave Han a grateful smile, before turning and heading away. When she was gone, Han clapped his hands together.

"All right, kids," he announced. "Looks like we're going to have to do a little work."

The twins groaned. "What kind of work?" Jacen asked. "It's holiday!"

"Not that kind of work," Han replied, sitting down with them. Anakin was still bouncing in place on Jaina's lap, though she was too curious about her father's plans to notice. "I'll need one of you to make a trip to the med center, one of you to find Threepio. Then, Anakin, you can stay with me and give me a hand here."

"What's goin' on, Dad?" Jacen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll show you when we get started," Han replied. Jacen agreed to go to the med center, because he thought Jaina couldn't handle the "icky stuff" there. Jaina went off to find Threepio, and Anakin watched his father, his icy blue eyes wide.

"Why do you need Three?" he asked, and Han sat down with him.

"Because," he replied, "we're going to make a drink for Uncle Luke. And since we don't have any kitchen supplies here, Threepio is going to provide us with them."

Anakin let out a soft, "Ohhhh." And then he gave a shrug. "But why did Jaina have to go to the med center?"

Han thought for a moment, wondering how he was going to explain, without being too overly detailed. "Well, since Uncle Luke has such a problem taking medicine, we're going to try it another way."

"How? Giving it to him in his butt?" Anakin asked. Whenever he couldn't take anything through his mouth, well…Han snorted, amused that his son had suggested that so boldly.

"Um, well, not exactly."

Anakin blinked.

"Well, I figured we'd disguise the medicine to look like we're just giving him a mug of tea."

"What's 'sguise?" Anakin asked, and Han rubbed his hands over his face.

"To make something look like something else."

"How do we do that?"

Han smirked. "You just do what I tell you, all right, kid?" he asked, ruffling the four year old's hair. Anakin nodded, and went to go and play with his blocks. Han watched as his youngest son sat in the middle of the room, and shook his head. When the twins returned…Jacen came with the medi droid behind him, and Jaina had Threepio at her heels, Han turned around.

"Sir, is everything quite all right?" Threepio asked, and the medi droid repeated the question.

"Well, Luke's been pretty nauseous the last day or so. I wanted to give him some medication, but I think he's gonna be pretty stubborn if I just give it to him outright."

The medi droid agreed. "I quite agree," he replied.

"Are you gonna sneak it in his tea, Dad?" Jacen asked, a rather wicked smile coming over his face.

"I guess you could say that," Han admitted, and accepted a liquefied medication from the medi droid. "Threepio, what I need from you, is a mug, and fill it with juice or something that is similar to the color of this stuff." The medication was a light pink, a very unusual color for any type of liquid. Then again, Jaina thought, as she watched her father, the non-humanoid buffets contained odd quanitities of what they called "edible" food and/or drink.

"Is there anything you'd like us to do, Dad?" Jacen asked, leaning his elbows on the counter, and Han shook his head.

"You did your part, kids. Anakin's going to help me with this next part."

Threepio waddled off, and the medi droid gave Han instructions on how much medication was to be given to Luke in one dose. "Thanks," he replied, and the medi droid rolled off as well.

"Do you really think it'll work?" Jaina asked.

"I hope so," Han admitted. "If we don't get your Uncle back on his feet soon, we're gonna be stuck here for a while."

That didn't sound like a bad idea to the kids, who smiled at each other secretly. They would rather stay at the Jedi Acadamy with Luke, than return to their boring old studies on Coruscant. "Ugh, that stinks!" Anakin complained, covering his nose with his hand, after Han popped the lid from the medicine bottle. Han grimaced as well, having to agree.

"Yeah, it does." He poured about two spoonfuls of the medication into the dark mug, stirring it with a spoon. "Now Anakin, when the juice comes, I'm going to let you stir everything together, okay?" he asked, and Anakin looked delighted to have an important part in the scheme.

"Okay!" he exclaimed excitedly. Jacen and Jaina went back to doing what they'd been doing before, and Han and Anakin waited patiently for Threepio to return with the items from the kitchen. When he did, Han thanked him, and guided Anakin's hands to pour the juice into the mug.

"Good," Han told him proudly. "Now take this," he added, handing the boy a spoon. "And stir it quickly."

Anakin stirred the liquid, fascinated as the colors blended together. It certainly didn't look like a type of juice he'd ever seen! "And," Han added, "your other job will be to bring it to Uncle Luke."

The twins looked up, and stared at each other. "Dad…you're trusting Anakin with that?" Jaina asked. "Don't you think he might try drinking it?"

Anakin glared at them. "I won't either!" he snapped. "It smells yucky."

"You're right," Han told him. "You won't either. Now, sneak off with it, and act as innocent as you can."

"Innocent?" Anakin repeated, and Han groaned softly.

"Act like you're just going to give him juice, not medicine. Can you do that, son?" he added, knowing Leia would kill him if he'd done this in her presence.

"Think so." Anakin took the mug carefully into his hands, and the group watched as he made his way out of the room. Han blew out his breath, pouring Jacen and Jaina a glass of the leftover juice. They drank it eagerly, and helped clean up.

When Anakin reached Luke's quarters, he was relieved to see that his mother was nowhere in sight. Luke was sitting at his desk, pouring over a pile of papers. "Hi!" Anakin greeted, causing the Jedi master to jump a little with surprise. Luke glanced over his shoulder, and smiled as Anakin came towards him.

"Hey there, buddy," he replied. "Where are your brother and sister?"

Anakin shrugged. "With Daddy."

"So you just decided to come on your own, huh?" Luke kissed him when he came over to the desk.

"I was allowed to come," Anakin explained. "I made you a drink, Uncle Luke. Well, I helped, anyway."

Luke gave Anakin a suspicious look when he accepted the mug, peering inside. It certainly didn't look like tea, which is the drink he'd been taking down for the past week or so. "Well, thank you," he replied thoughtfully. "It looks…" he cleared his throat. "Different." He timidly took a sip, grimacing. "Wow, that's a little thick. What kind of juice is this? I don't think I've encountered it before." He took another sip, trying to get used to the strange taste.

Anakin shrugged, scuffing the side of his shoe along the rug. "I dunno. Is it yucky?" he asked, putting on a pout. Luke cocked his head to one side, and then smiled warmly.

"It's delicious," he croaked. After the third sip, he blinked. "Wow, this is a little strong. Making me kind of dizzy." He set the mug on the desk, massaging his temples. "Anakin can you…" he swayed, and the little boy stepped back, horrified.

"Uncle Luke? Are you okay?" he asked, and before he could blink, his Uncle had collapsed. His head connected with the edge of the desk, and he slid right out of his chair. Anakin's mouth hung open wide, and he fell to his knees beside his relative. Almost immediately, the little boy burst into tears. "I killed Uncle Luke!" he wailed, running out of the room as fast as his small legs could carry him. "MOMMY! MOMMY!" he screamed, and nearly ran into Jaina, who'd been coming to check on him.

"What's wrong, Ani?" she asked, scooping her little brother into her arms. He clung to her.

"I killed Uncle Luke!"

Jaina gasped. "You…what! Where is he?" Anakin was sobbing too hard to respond, so Jaina immediately carried him off to find Leia.

"WHAT!" Leia exclaimed, hopping up from the bed she shared with Han. "Anakin, calm down, love! What exactly happened?" she asked, taking her son from her daughter, and led them both to Luke's room.

"D-Daddy and I made him a drink," Anakin hiccoughed, and Leia raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of a drink?" she asked, and Anakin shrugged.

"I dunno." They entered the room, and Leia quickly spotted her brother's body.

"Oh Sith spawn," she cursed, setting Anakin down. She ran over to Luke's side, kneeling down and turning him over. Luke had a great bruise forming on his forehead, but he was still breathing when she checked.

"He's all right," she told the children. "But he's out like a light." She stood, reaching with the Force to lift Luke into the air. Anakin gasped, as did Jaina…their mother rarely had time to display her "powers" to them.

Han entered at that moment, and stopped short. "Oh boy," he spoke, a bit too loudly for his own good. Leia, upon hearing him, accidentally lost control and sent Luke crashing to the ground again. He woke up with a surprised, "Ow!"

She blinked. "I'm so sorry!" she apologized, easing him into a sitting position. Luke massaged his throbbing head, looking around the room in a slight daze.

"Where'm I?" he asked, as Han hurried over

"In your room, kid." He lifted Luke into his arms, and carried his friend back to bed, trying desparately to ignore the menacing glare from his wife.

"Kids?" Leia spoke, just as Jacen and Chewbacca joined them in the room. "Stay and keep an eye on Uncle Luke. Your father and I…" Han gulped at her cold voice, "we have to talk." She grabbed him roughly by the arm, and drug him into the hallway. Jace and Jaina stared at each other, and Anakin climbed onto the bed.

Seconds later, they heard Leia explode, shouting curses in a number of different languages. Luke covered Anakin's ears, and closed his eyes.

"Wow," Jacen laughed. "Mommy has a dirty mouth."

Jaina smirked, and Anakin looked at Luke. "Uncle Luke, what does…" he spoke a foreign curse, and Luke's eyes widened. Using two fingers, he waved them in front of his nephew's eyes.

"You will not repeat that word again, Anakin." He spoke calmly, and Anakin's body seemed to go slightly rigid.

"I will not speak that word again, Anakin."

The twins were giggling, and Luke raised his arms in defeat. "Close enough," he said.

"I thought you weren't supposed to talk, Uncle Luke," Jaina told him, and Luke glanced at her.

"Well, it all depends on circumstances." He lay back down against the pillows. The recovery period was unbearable, though having Han, Leia and the kids made the situation a little easier to stand. Well, somewhat. Between the waves of pain and Leia's constant fussing, he would have rather spent the stretch of time by himself.

"I think they've stopped yelling," Anakin announced, and Luke kissed the top of his head.

"Why don't you guys go and check on them?" he asked, and Anakin and Jaina scurried off. Jacen remained behind, and Luke smiled softly at him.

"What's wrong, Jacen?" he asked, and he boy ran over, crawled onto the bed, and embraced his Uncle tightly. Luke held Jacen close, rubbing hi back.

"I love you, Uncle Luke," he whispered, and pecked a kiss on his cheek.

"I love you too," Luke replied softly. "I'm going to get some rest, all right?" he added, and Jacen nodded.

"Okay." He accepted another quick kiss from his Uncle, before following in his sibling's wake.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Outside in the hallway, Leia finished venting her frustration to her husband, and leaned against the wall with her arms folded.

"Leia," Han told her, "I'm sorry." He came to her, and touched her arm. "I was only trying to help Luke."

Leia looked at him, exhasperated. "The least you could have done was to let me know, Han. And entrusting Anakin to bring it to him? He's four years old! How could you even…did it occur to you that he might try drinking it? He doesn't know any better!"

Han felt a blush creeping into his cheeks. He had known the risk of sending the youngest of the children to bring the cup to Luke's room, but Anakin's innocence was what convinced Luke to even taste it. When he told Leia this, she pulled away. "It was stupid, Leia," he finally admitted. "We really should have let you in on this, but I didn't think…"

Leia snapped at him. "Well, that's just it, Han! You don't think!"

He backed away at the anger in her voice, and raised his hands. "Don't turn to the dark side on me, sweetheart. Fathers are allowed to make mistakes every once in a while."

Leia blew out her breath. "Sometims I don't know what to do with you, Han. I really don't." she glanced up as the children came into the hall, hesitating to come any closer to their parents. Leia smiled at them, motioning with her arm that it was safe for them to intrude.

"Uncle Luke's sleeping," Jacen told her. "He told us to make sure you two haven't killed each other yet."

Jaina nudged his arm, and Leia merely laughed.

"Is Daddy in trouble?" Anakin whispered loudly to Jaina. "I've been yelled at by Mommy before, and I know what it's like!"

Jaina covered her mouth and giggled, shhhshing him. Leia laughed also, and shook her head. "No," she replied thoughtfully, "He's not in trouble."

"Grown ups never get in trouble," Anakin whined. "It isn't fair! Daddy doesn't even get time out!"

Han sniggered, folding his arms, and gave Anakin a hurt look. "Way to stick up for me, kid." He teased. "Who's side are you on anyway?" he asked, and Anakin clung to his mother's legs.

"Mommy's," he replied, and Han smirked.

"And why are you on Mommy's side?"

Anakin looked up at the former Princess of Alderaan, and gave her a sheepish grin. " 'Cause she gives me cookies." His answer was so serious, that it sended Jacen and Jaina into fits of laughter, and even Han had a difficult time keeping a straight face.

"So!" he cocked his head to one side. "That's how you've been doing it!"

Leia glanced down at Anakin, and nudged his arm. "Honey," she whispered. "That was only the one time." She cleared her throat, and avoided Han's stare.

"One time? You used bribery to get Anakin to do something? And ha! You go off on me about being dishonest!"

Leia raised a finger at him. "That was a completely different situation, Han."

Jacen and Jaina looked at each other, biting their lips. "Uh oh," they said together.

"And you say you're not a corrupt politician," Han spat. "Bribery. My own wife resorting to using bribery on our kids."

The twins distracted Anakin for the time being, and pulled him away, heading in the direction of their bedroom. The last thing they wanted was to get in the middle of another one of their parents' arguments. It amazed them that Han and Leia had been married for so long, considering how much they fought.

"I'm not a corrupt politician!" Leia exclaimed. "I'm a knowledgeable mother! And sometimes, you have to be creative."

Han smirked, pulling her into his arms and dipping her backwards. "I love you, your worshipfulness," he whispered into her ear, and she felt the blood rushing to her head from being hung upside down. Still, she loved when he made these passionate moves on her, and didn't complain. Eventually, he pulled her up, and the two of them kissed.

"I love you, nerf herder," she replied.

Han snorted. "Aren't you ever going to stop calling me that?" he asked, moving his kiss down her neck. She groaned with pleasure, pressing him against the wall.

"Aren't you ever going to stop calling me your worshipfulness?" she whispered into his ear, and he thought for a moment.

"Good question," he laughed, and lifted her into his arms.

"Han!" she yelped, clinging to his neck for dear life.

"What?" he asked, carrying her down the hall. "The kids aren't watching."

Leia rolled her eyes. "To the bedroom?" she asked, appreciating being pampered for once. She was so tired after all of the commotion with Luke, that she wanted nothing more than to just relax with her husband.

"Absolutely," he replied, and carried her the rest of the way there.

When Jacen, Jaina and Anakin entered their room, it seemed so foreign. Jaina carried her little brother, and had to let him down when he started squirming. They were grateful that their Uncle had survived the surgery, though deep down they knew perfectly well that he would have been fine.

"Hey," Jacen spoke, flopping down on his bed. "D'you think Uncle Luke could have survived with one lung? I mean, didn't the healer say his other lung was fine?"

Jaina shrugged. "I think so," she answered. "But they wanted to be safe by putting another healthy lung in."

"I wonder why they didn't put him in the bacta stuff. Mom said he was fine when he was attacked by the wampa on Hoth, and was in the tank for a little while."

Jaina rolled her eyes. "Jacen," she spoke, "The bacta tank is used for injuries on the outside. Like if you cut your arm or something. Uncle Luke was hurt on the inside."

Jacen nodded. "Oh." He turned over on his back. "I'm just glad he's okay."

Jaina smiled, watching as Anakin sat in the center of the floor, fascinated by the lizard in the cage. "Why do lizards have yellow eyes?" Anakin asked, resting his chin on his arms, and Jacen looked at him.

"Same reason why we have brown and blue," he replied. "It's all about the color of the parents' eyes."

"I have Uncle Luke's eyes," Anakin told his siblings proudly. Both Han and Leia had dark eyes, which the twins inherited, but the only reason for Anakin's icy blue eyes was that he'd gotten them from Luke.

"I know," Jaina told him softly. "But they could have come from grandpa's, too."

"Yeah," Jacen agreed. "Grandpa Anakin had blue eyes, too."

"Jacen, can I hold the lizard?" Anakin asked, and Jacen sat up.

"No," he replied firmly.

"Why?" Anakin whined.

"Because, it might bite you."

"Then why d'you hold it?"

Jacen sighed, rolling his eyes. "Because it understands me. It's not scared of me."

"Don't argue," Jaina interrupted. "Didn't we promise Mom and Dad that we'd be good if Uncle Luke got better?"

Jacen looked at his sister. "We are being good," he snipped, and Jaina shook her head.

"No. We're getting mad at each other, and that's not being good."

"I'm hungry," Anakin randomly announced, and the twins looked at him, and then at the chronometers on their wrists. It was not quite lunch time, though they had to admit, they'd been so worried about their Uncle that it had made their appetities thin. They were only now aware of their growling stomachs.

"Me too, actually," Jacen agreed. "Wonder if we can ask Mom and Dad if they'll let us get lunch early."

"Let's go!" Anakin cried with delight, abandoning his desire to hold Jacen's pet lizard, and he hopped to his feet. The three siblings dashed into the hallway, and made their way towards their parent's room. They stopped outside when they heard what sounded like the bed bouncing, and giggling from behind the door. Jacen and Jaina stared at each other, and both turned a ridiculous shade of crimson.

"Anakin, no!" Jaina hissed as her youngest brother reached a pudgy hand for the door knob, and turned it.

"I wanna see Mommy and Daddy," he told her, and she took his shoulder firmly.

"No you don't," she whispered. "Not now."

"Why?" he asked, and Jaina sighed.

"We'll explain it to you when you're older. Let's go find Threepio and ask if we can eat now." After all, they'd practically been raised by the golden droid and their mother's maid, Winter.

"Or Chewie," Anakin replied, and Jaina shook her head.

"I don't want to bother Chewie. Besides, I can barely understand him," she admitted, and Jacen, though he certainly had an understanding of animals that his siblings didn't, he still had quite a bit to learn about wookiee speech. So the twins successfully convinced Anakin to let their parents alone, and made the treck towards the mess hall. When they met with Threepio, the droid announced that lunch would be occurring in a little more than sixty minutes.

"But Threepio," Jacen complained, "We're starving! We haven't eaten a lot since Uncle Luke got sick. Can't we have something now?"

Threepio raised his mechanical arms, his optical sensors blinking. "I suppose I might be able to fetch you a bit of something from the kitchens, Master Jacen."

Jacen patted the droid's arm, grinning. "You're the best," he replied, and the droid gave a surprised start.

"I am honored you feel that way, sir," he replied. "Is there anything specific you would like to eat?"

The kids looked at one another. "Uh," Jaina began, "Whatever looks good?" she replied.

"All right." Threepio began to waddle towards the kitchen, and the group watched as he disappeared around a corner.

"I guess we'll wait in our room for it then," Jacen suggested, shrugging.

"We should go and check on Uncle Luke," Jaina added, and Anakin shook his head defiantly.

"Mommy said we couldn't," he protested.

"She said we couldn't burst in and be loud," Jaina retorted. "We can just take a peek and make sure he's okay."

"Let's go," Jacen agreed, and they headed in the opposite direction.

Laying on the bed in each other's arms, Han and Leia gazed lazily up at the ceiling. It had been an eventful week, that was for sure. "Why is it," Leia began, "that we just cant seem to ever have a relaxing vacation? Or that we can never seem to relax in general?"

Han sniggered. "Anakin did bring up a point, even though he didn't," he admitted. "Grown ups don't get in trouble. At least not that way," he added. "We just get into a different kind of trouble."

Leia smirked. "A deadlier kind of trouble." She sighed. "I wish we didn't have to constantly live with the fear that some outside world is going to attack us. I mean, we thought the entire Empire had collapsed after Palpatine was destroyed."

"And then Grand Admiral Thrawn," Han replied. "Yeah. Who knows what might be lurking out there. It's never safe, Leia, but we can at least enjoy peacetime when we have it." He hugged her.


End file.
